Sunset On The Pier
by Isabella Dragon
Summary: THIS IS COPYRIGHTED! A story of true love at first bloom... A girl torn between true love... a maniac lost in a world of bliss... when they all come together... magic happens
1. Leaving It Behind

Characters: Shyana McKessa Zack Anderson Landon Matheson Olivine (Tricia) Castalia Janis Arapaho Connor Branston  
  
Chapter 1: Leaving it behind  
  
The tires screeched and the red corvette heading toward us suddenly swerved. Connor tried to turn the wheel and take back his control, yet he couldn't and the car went spinning. Our car crashed into the wall of the bridge and was on the brink of falling over. I held Connor's hand, not knowing if we were going to survive and be together later someday; somehow I knew . . . it was soon to end.  
  
The car gave one last sound of giving up and fell off the side of the dark bridge, spinning over and over until we hit the water. The black and greenish water suddenly surrounded me. It was so dark and I was so scared. The front windshield broke into a thousand shattered pieces. The water was dark and it was around 11:30 pm, late that no one would be on this same bridge, but the other car to see and help us. It was a blur but I unstrapped both Connor's seatbelt and mine. With all the energy I had I swam to the shore of the large lake. I didn't want to look at Connor because I knew . . . I knew it. He was dead.  
  
'No!' I sat up and stared around me. I had been sweating from my dream and my own scream had wakened me up. My room was empty now except for a small white lamp, my mattress, and a blanket. Everything else was gone. I looked at my wrist watch. 8:30 a.m. . . . We would be leaving soon, maybe in about two hours or an hour and a half.  
  
My name is Shyana McKessa, an eighteen year old girl with a golden brown shade of wavy hair and dark brown eyes. I've lived in Washington for all my life and had been going steady with my old boyfriend, Connor Branston, for four years until the car accident. It's been hard for me since then, with the memory running through my head over and over again, the fall, Connor's pale face, and him on the shore. No breath, no pulse . . . It just made my life seem so much lonelier. I stopped my internship with a friend of my mother's. Doctor Carol, and started giving up on all my dreams. I missed Connor so dearly, and thought if his life couldn't go on; I had no reason for mine to go on either. Connor had hit his head on the wheel while I was holding his hand, and died instantly. His skin cold and clammy while he laid on the shore . . . He felt no pain when he died; I was the only one who felt the pain.  
  
It happened two months ago . . . it broke my heart to think about him being gone, and thinking about how I have to leave my home all behind, how I have to leave everything behind and go across the whole country to get to a new place.  
  
We were moving to Florida. I didn't want to leave Washington. My life belongs here, I belong here, and it's too special to just let go, with all the friends I've made, including my best friend in the whole entire world, Olivine Tricia Castalia, the girl I've known since I was four. We've been together since the diaper age and were both eighteen now and living on with our lives.and the things I've done and learned here, all the special memories I don't want to leave. But my mother's new job is going to be much better . . . and it's too late, she already accepted it. I hadn't been part of the plan though, because both my parents knew I would start a huge fight and say no without thinking the whole plan through. So they made the decisions themselves and did not tell me until it was time for us to start sending all of our stuff to the other house.  
  
Of course I made a huge fit of it. I was slamming doors all the time, turning up my radio as loud as possible just to tune out the rest of the world, and I would scream and yell. I know this is too immature for an 18 year old about to go off to college but still, everything was just so hard.  
  
I put on a pair of jeans and my white t-shirt and went downstairs in my kitchen to walk my small white and fluffy dog, Muffin. She scratched at the old wooden door at the front of the house pleading for me to let her out. I hooked her pink leash to her collar and placed my hand on the doorknob, with all the bronze paint chipping off it kind of looked like an old wall. Giving out a sigh I leaned on the door, breathing in the old lemon and pine scent from all the cleaners we had used to try and buff up that old door. This was the one door with the new hinges but old frame, with old wood and scratch marks, pink and purple nail polish marks, and nail polish remover stains up and down it, the one door that would have to be closed behind me in a few hours, closing away everything else in that old rickety house.  
  
I walked outside and breathed in the fresh air. It was a cool and crisp day. The breeze blew through my thick brown, golden hair, singing its song of serenity in my ear, as I walked along the sidewalk, waiting for my dog to finish her business.  
  
'Come on muffin . . . lets go.' I reached to my neck itching a bit, my hand instantly wrapped around the small necklace that hung there. Connor had given me a small, heart-shaped locket before he died. It was supposed to be for our four year anniversary. A picture was inside, a picture of him; I treasured both picture and locket very much. Even though I knew both were materialistic and probably wouldn't last, I knew someday I would lose them, and if I did I couldn't let myself be sad about it. Because I was supposed to know it wasn't going to last.  
  
It was all I had left of him other than my memories. When I got back into the house, everyone was awake and dressed; they had woken up as soon as I had left. My father, a medium sized man in his forties was sitting on the floor with his dark green sweat pants and gray sweatshirt, trying to tie his shoes. His curly blonde hair parted a bit on the side to cover up a bit of his bald spot. He had a waffle in his mouth, with syrup slowly sliding from one edge to the other edge of the waffle while my father rocked back and forth struggling to make his shoes fit.  
  
'I think they were lying when they said "if the shoe fits wear it" because the shoe did fit and I should be wearing it by now!'  
  
My mother, a woman of her own forties with dark brown hair and blue eyes slowly came down the stairs. She was more appropriately dressed in her dark blue jeans and shirt that said "Noah's rejects" with strangely shaped and colored animals drawn all over it. I had made that shirt in the 7th grade when I had been taking a special art class. It was six years back and I was surprised that she could find and still fit it.  
  
'I couldn't find any other shirt but this! Dear. those are my shoes.'  
  
My dad looked up and gave a syrupy grin. He tried to mumble out a few words but only succeeded in spilling some syrup on the wooden floor. He took off the shoes and rolled them to my mom while he chewed more on his waffle and went back to the box of shoes that was sitting beside him.  
  
Once my father had finally succeeded in finding his old brown leather shoes and packed the box of other shoes in the rental van, shut and locked the door, he called us out to leave.  
  
The car and u-haul were all packed and I would drive my small light green beetle with my mom and dog, while my dad would drive his car connected to the tiny u-haul with our luggage in it. My mother's car was already sold and my father's was going to be my uncle's soon and mine was going to be my cousin's. We only had small cars so nothing could fit into them, so we had to rent the u-haul. Our other stuff was already at our new house, all but some of our clothes and dog.  
  
'Take one last look at this old house you guys! The house we had lived in for the past twenty years!' my dad bellowed to us in the car behind him. 'Were off to a new start again!' and my mother agreed, smiling but did not bother to look back at the house, she was glad we were leaving, very much unlike me.  
  
We arrived at the airport where our relatives were waiting for us, giving us hugs and kisses of goodbye. My friends were either busy or at the hospital, where my best friend, Tricia, was in fact, because she had a skiing incident and was lost in a coma. We boarded the plane, and I stared out the window the whole way through. Thinking about everything I was leaving behind, and silently crying both outside and inside. My dog looked quite airsick after the whole plane ride but was fine after we got out onto the road. We had some food at one of the indoor restaurants in the airport. I didn't like the food on the plane; it tasted so strange to me, so we just got some pizza. We finished our lunch and went outside to catch a cab.  
  
My mother and father took one taxi while I took another with muffin. It took about two hours to get to the new house, leaving my dog sick again. The house was near the beach, and a small pier, not a very popular beach because it was not that large. There was a small slope from the road in front of the house, a few feet of sand and the pier, then the ocean. The house was white, with a green painted door. All new just built about a month ago. I shuddered at the sight. It was something so different from my comfortable life.  
  
I promised myself I would go to the pier later, maybe at sunset. I had no school anyways; it was just the beginning of summer vacation, and in Florida, very hot. My mother insisted I go around town after we unpacked some of our stuff, and I left some of my stuff in boxes. These were the things I was going to bring with me to college in the fall. So I unpacked the few clothes that weren't in boxes and put them away in the small dresser that had been taken out for me. Later on I walked to the library, which was only a couple of blocks away. I sat alone in the library with books surrounding me, reading my own favorite book, "A walk to remember."  
  
After an hour or so I heard a cry and I looked around hoping to see someone. Another sob came from behind one of the book shelves. I looked behind it and found a boy, maybe around the age of nineteen, crying. It's very unusual to see a boy of his age crying, but he had a very large bruise on his ribs and he was carefully touching it, for its tenderness.  
  
'Oh my goodness, are you okay?' I asked  
  
He nearly jumped off his knees but fell back down from being hit with another jolt of pain.  
  
He was squinting while he talked, I guessed it must have hurt a lot, it was as big as a frying pan, and quite the shape of it too.  
  
'I . . . no . . . I got in . . . a . . . fight.' He said.  
  
He looked up at me and I just realized how handsome he was, he had gray- blue eyes and dark brown hair. . .  
  
'I'll take care of it . . . come on. Ill take you to my house.' I took his hand and he slowly stood up.  
  
What the heck am I doing?  
  
We slowly walked to her house where I grabbed a first aid kit and some ice.  
  
'Now please lift up your shirt, I can't help you if you don't.' I said. 'I've been studying to be a doctor someday, so I know what to do.'  
  
He lifted up his shirt and Shyana gave a small gasp. There was a large diagonal scar that crossed over his chest, starting darker at the spot where he heart was. She didn't ask him about it, she just bandaged his ribs and told him to keep the ice on it. It was already sunset and they went to sit down on the pier.  
  
'So what is your name?' he asked.  
  
'Its Shyana McKessa, shya or shy for short . . . what's yours?'  
  
'It's Zack Anderson. Are you new here? I come to this pier everyday and I've never seen you before.' he turned and stared out towards the horizon.  
  
'Yea, I just came today. It's been very hard.'  
  
'It's the same here.' He said, and gently a tear rolled down his eye, she did not know if it was from his ribs, or something else.  
  
They talked about the day, and why they were in Florida. Zack was there, because his mother had wanted to be somewhere where she could stroll along the beach. Shyana of course was there because her mother had gotten a new job.  
  
He was so handsome. In the back of my head I didn't want to admit it because I thought that any idea of getting over Connor as indeed preposterous but I thought that maybe Zack and her could become friends, and maybe someday even more, and I hoped, that he thought so too. Even though I had just met him, he seemed to be sensitive. But then, I though, some boys will change after you see them on the first day. Yeah right, I thought again, probably just for first impressions. Yet what if it's not?  
  
We sat through the rest of sunset until night, when I had to go. Zack just kept looking into my eyes. but he turned away and promised to meet tomorrow at the same time. I went home... secretly thinking about him.  
  
Chapter 2- Dangerous Secrets  
  
Zack took his time to get home, he didn't want to go back but it was the only place that he had to live. It looked like any ordinary house but inside it was his personal hellhole. He took the ladder from the ground and placed it under his window. He had to be very quiet or else his father would catch him, and beat him up again. He lowly climbed the ladder and opened his window. His room was trashed, glass was scattered across the floor, but luckily there was no glass on his bed.  
  
He went inside and, with his shoes still on, he locked his door. It had 3 different locks on it so his father wouldn't be able to get inside while Zack was in there. Luckily his bed was right beside his window so if he needed to make a quick escape then he could just jump out onto the ladder and run. He closed his window and lay on his bed and thought of the pretty new girl he had met that afternoon.  
She had been nice enough to care for him, and had enough control not to ask about his scar when she saw it. Most people would want to talk about it. Unlike Zack, his mother had died about three years ago, from leukemia. And while she was undergoing treatment, Zack's father had started abusing him, blaming him for his mother's sickness.  
  
Zack cared for his father; he knew how sad he felt. They had both loved Zack's mother, she was the glue that helped them stay together, but she was gone now, and would never come back again. Somehow Zack's father believed that Zack was the cause of his mother's death. Earlier he had hit zack with the largest and heaviest thing he could find, in this case, the frying pan. Anything his father could find, he threw or hit Zack with it.  
  
A few weeks after his mother died Zack's father tried to kill him. He tried to stab him with a knife, but zack jumped sideways before it could go all the way into his heart. He only had a mille-second to jump because his father was so large, fit, fast, and strong.  
  
His girlfriend, Janis Arapaho had brought him to the hospital, lying for him about what happened, she had said he tripped at a spot where a piece of glass was hanging and it cut him. Afterwards she told him that she loved him but that she couldn't take it . . . she left him for another guy who had also helped him, his best friend Landon Matheson. Zack looked at his drawer which was covered with torn paper.  
  
That had been his second-to-last book. His old best friends, Landon and Janis had given it to him, but they left him, their fear of his dad was too strong. His very last and most favorite book was under his pillow. "A walk to remember." His mother had given it to him right before she died, and even though Zack knew his father wouldn't dare destroy that book, he still hid it from him anyway, afraid that one day his dad would not care anymore.  
  
Zack fell asleep, thinking of how Shyana looked a lot like his mother. It was strange but it gave Zack a bit of comfort when he was around Shyana, it felt like he was given another chance to be with his mother, but in this case, a girl that was just around his age. It was strange, if he ever went out with her, wouldn't it be like going out with his own mother? It was very strange but it gave Zack good dreams anyways.  
  
Zack woke up to a large bang at his door. He widened his eyes and realized it was his father. A big chunk of the door came off. Zack had overslept. Whenever he overslept, the closer he was to death. Zack's father was using a hammer, and a big baseball bat lay on the floor beside his feet.  
  
Zack grabbed his book from under his pillow and quickly opened his window. He glanced at his dad who was ready to get into his room, grinning. Zack jumped out onto the ladder and slammed his window. He slid down and knocked the ladder away from his window so that his father would not be able to get down without running all the way downstairs. His father used the baseball bat to hit the window while Zack was still looking back.  
  
The spray of glass hit him. He was scratched on his face but he was still able to run. He was bleeding a little, but still okay. He ran down the street to the pier, hoping Shyana would be there. He later decided to read while he waited. It was the 23rd time he had read this book. He stopped for a moment and looked at his watch. It was 1:17 pm.  
  
He had had a close call with his father. That is why he always had to wake up extra early in the morning and go back to sleep in the library or on the pier afterwards. He thought his dad still had a chance to be good, a slim chance, but still a chance. Zack's friends weren't able to see it and they never liked being near his father.  
  
What if Shyana doesn't like being near him either? He thought  
  
Well it wouldn't really be a loss yet. He thought she probably already had a boyfriend. He didn't know much about her yet, but he would like to. He daydreamed on the pier about Shyana so much that he didn't even notice she was standing beside him.  
  
'Hey what's' up, I thought you were supposed to come her sunset only.' She laughed a little.  
  
'Well, I thought it was a nice day to just spend some time on the pier reading.' He said  
  
She smiled.  
  
He's cute, sensitive, and smart . . . he seems perfect so far. She thought  
  
She spotted the scratches on his face  
  
'Did you get scratched by a cat or something?' she asked.  
  
'Yes . . . Yeah sure.' He thought she may be thinking that he gets hurt too much. That he could probably be bad luck or something.  
  
Shyana spotted the book beside him. 'You like a walk to remember?'  
  
He nodded 'Yeah . . . it's my favorite.'  
  
'Mine too!'  
  
Ok now he must be perfect for me! I hope he doesn't have a girlfriend though. She thought  
  
They talked about the book for a while surprised at how much they had in common. After about three hours of a walk to remember. They walked down to the nearest subway to get a bite to eat. And they were talking about a walk to remember all the way there.  
  
Chapter 3: Old friends, old memories  
  
'I'll order the cold cut trio please, a foot long cut in half with some provolone cheese . . .'  
  
Zack was ordering Shyana's food along with his, when Shyana spotted a group of kids her age staring at her and whispering to one another.  
  
'. . . also with jalapenos and some vinegar oil, Is that it Shy?'  
  
He decided to call her that. It was short, yet not the exact description of Shyana, even though she was sometimes hesitant.  
  
'Huh? Oh, yeah sure, that's great.'  
  
Zack smiled and looked around to see what Shyana had been staring at. He almost dropped the food.  
  
It was his old gang, including his old best friend, with one other person he thought he would never see again. The one person that had softened his heart then broke it.  
  
'Hey Zack, do you know them.' Shyana asked  
  
'From a while back . . . I didn't expect to see them, for a long time.'  
  
Zack didn't want to see them, but he had no choice. He had to face them.  
  
'Look, their coming over zack, maybe you can introduce me to them.'  
  
Shyana was ecstatic about meeting some of Zack's friends. She could tell Tricia all about it after she came out of her coma, if she ever did, Shyana was planning to let her come and spend some time of the summer in Florida with her.  
  
The group casually walked over. Zack was eyeing the one pretty blonde girl in the middle and the boy walking next to her.  
  
'Hey, what's up Zack? Long time man, a year?' said one of the boys.  
  
'Yeah oh um, this is my new . . . uh friend umm. . . Shyana, she just moved here.' Zack didn't seem too happy about Shyana meeting his friends.  
  
'Zack . . .' the blonde girl walked up to him.  
  
'Janis . . . it's been such a long time.' Zack looked in to her eyes. Shyana watched, her heart started to break, she hoped it wasn't what she thought it was and it wasn't who she thought it was.  
  
The group quieted down, everyone watching Zack and Janis Arapaho, holding each other, not caring what the world was about to see.  
  
'Yeah. . . I've missed you so much, there hasn't been a minute since that blissful day that I haven't thought about you, and what . . . could have been.' Tears streamed down Janis's cheeks and Zack held her close to him.  
  
'No Janis, don't cry . . . I'm here . . . I'm here now.'  
  
Janis lifted her head and kissed Zack. Zack opened his eyes just in time to see Shyana run out of the building.  
  
* * * Later on, after saying to Janis that he would meet her at the pier he had a meeting with his old friends, talking over their subs. Shyana's half of the sandwich sat alone, at the other side of the table, because she had left, Zack decided to eat it himself.  
  
'So Zack, who was that girl, a new girlfriend I suppose?'  
  
His old friends laughed, but Zack didn't. Shyana seemed very hurt about him kissing Janis. Maybe she did like him a lot.  
  
'Oh come on Zack, she's just a girl? Not like your ever going to marry her right?' Zack's friend Chris said.  
  
'Yeah I guess your right Chris, but I still feel awful.'  
  
'Well I have a date with my girl guys, I'll see you later.' Chris jumped up and ran out the door with a big grin on his face.  
  
'It's good to have you back Zack. I never thought I would see you again.'  
  
'Yeah Landon, it's nice to be back with my best friend. But your style changed man.'  
  
Zack looked at Landon. He was wearing a white t-shirt and a blue polo shirt with some dark baggy jeans. And he had dyed his hair blonde from his old dark brown.  
  
'Yeah well I guess I look better now. Ha. Well I have to go too. I'll see you man.'  
  
They did heir special handshake and went off in separate directions. Zack felt bad, but he was happy to have his friends behind him all the way.  
  
* *  
* 'He has a girlfriend you idiot! How could you not have seen it?! If he's such a perfect guy how could he not have been taken?' Shyana yelled at herself about it all the way until she reached her house.  
  
'Hi sweetie how was you're . . .'  
  
Shyana ran up to her room and cut her mother off with the slam of her door. . .  
  
'Okay then . . .'  
And her mother went back to cooking.  
  
Shyana lay on her bed cried. She knew she was being a real baby crying over some guy she only knew for three days. Yet she had been so relieved that she had found someone new after Connor that it felt so bad to be lost again. She opened her bedside drawer and took out a picture of Connor.  
  
'Why did you have to leave me? Can you see what I have to go through now? I thought we were supposed to be together forever!'  
  
She held the picture close, her tears falling to her bed. She cried until she was all cried out, wishing her pain would end.  
  
'Together forever . . .' as her voice faded and her eyes closed, she gazed out her window at the pier where two figures of Zack and Janis stood, hand in hand talking. And Shyana fell asleep, the car crash scene replaying in her mind, but not letting her awake. She was stuck inside the worse moment of her life until the sun set.  
  
* *  
*  
  
'Zack . . . It's been so long, and I can't believe your still here.'  
  
Janis looked at Zack deeply.  
  
'I've missed you and having Landon instead wasn't the same. It was never the same after you were gone Zack . . . never.'  
  
Zack didn't know what to do, there was Shyana and then there was Janis. Who would he choose?  
  
'Janis, it has been long and . . . and things have changed.'  
  
Zack's father hadn't changed but his love life had, he had to tell Janis about Shyana.  
  
'Your father has stopped hurting you? That's great news Zack!'  
  
Janis smiled. Sincerely happy that she had Zack back, and that everything would be alright, she had no idea he was talking about something else.  
  
'This is great! Now we can live happily!'  
  
Before zack could say something Janis took him and kissed him, as the sun set.  
  
'I have to go now, I love you zack. I'll see you later ok?'  
  
'But . . . but . . .'  
  
Janis walked away and Zack was left on the pier. He looked at Shyana's room window. It was dark, and Zack didn't feel like knocking at her door.  
  
'You only knew her for three days man. She won't care, or she'll get over it.'  
  
Zack told himself. But he couldn't help but think that even if she might not care, he might care more.  
  
Chapter 4: Rain Drops  
  
Shyana woke late at night, from the rain drops on her window. She put on her coat and grabbed her umbrella; she needed to have a walk.  
  
She waked through the storm, the wind constantly reminding her that she was alone. She walked until she got to the bus stop. She had no where to go, and she had no money. She couldn't go anywhere. She sat there, as the bus came.  
  
'Come on lady are you getting on or not.' The bus driver yelled  
  
She shook her head, the rain drops mixing with her tears. She thought about what had happened. Zack had a girlfriend, and he didn't even care that Shyana was there when he kissed Janis. Shyana felt so alone, she felt as though the world around her was trying to torture her in anyway it could. Her umbrella, still open was blown away by the wind.  
  
'Ugh! What the hell is going on? Can't you see me god! Do you see how much pain I'm suffering? Do you give me even a piece of sympathy? My world is coming to an end and nothing is giving me a sign of hope, at least you could!'  
  
She yelled to the sky. Her makeup was smearing, but she didn't care, she didn't care if anyone saw her. The rain strengthened, and she was being soaked. Her t-shirt was so wet that it made her body visible, sticking to her skin.  
  
She fell on her knees, and cupped her face in her hands.  
  
'It's all coming to an end. Can I just die here? Please just let me die here.'  
  
Her memory came back to her. This is how Connor and Shyana met. It was a rainy night, and she had missed the bus because she had been chasing after her umbrella. Her clothes had been soaked, and Connor, as a stranger to her, came to help her. He shared his umbrella with her and walked her to the nearest restaurant, a subway. After that they had been meeting each other, and one day had started to go steady. Four years later he had brought her to a fancy French restaurant; Fervoi' voe lai'e. He gave her the locket and a single rose that night. The rose was as red as her dress, and the golden locket matched it perfectly.  
  
They had left the restaurant, and it was raining as bad as it is now. Connor shared that same umbrella as he did on the day they met. They had no clue that everything was going to end in just a few minutes.  
  
'We didn't know . . . that we would be separated from then on.' Shyana said. Lost in her thoughts; not aware that Zack's friend was walking towards her.  
  
They had been driving on the road, with the rain making it so hard to see. They were driving on the bridge and they saw headlights coming toward them. The car coming towards them was red. That was how close it got, so that Shyana was able to see its hood. The tires on our car screeched, and the red car turned. Connor lost control, the car went flying over the side of the bridge, plummeting to the dark waters below.  
  
She was on the shore afterwards, remembering swimming there. She didn't want to look at Connor . . . she knew at the time he was dead, but it hadn't sunk in yet. Then she blacked out. She awoke in a hospital bed. Her head was wrapped in a bandage, and it was throbbing, but she took no notice. The only think on her mind was Connor.  
  
She had screamed at the doctors to tell her where he was and if he was okay. They just tried to get her to lie down again. But she jumped up and ran out of the room, slipping on her wet shoes. The dye from her dress was seeping down her legs like blood. She ran into each room, searching for Connor's. She finally found it. She ran in and looked at the doctors faces, they too shook their heads. She looked at the heart monitor. It read dead. Connor was really dead. She ran to his side, held his head close to hers. She whispered that she loved him over and over again, but he never said anything back, she knew he wouldn't, that he couldn't.  
  
'Shyana, is that you?' Zack's friend asked  
  
She nodded.  
  
'Come on, you have to get out of this rain, I'll bring you home ok? Come on, oh and my name is Landon Matheson.'  
  
'Thank you Landon . . . Thank you.' Shyana walked with him in the storm. Her body was shaking, not from the cold rain against her body, but from the pain in her heart.  
  
Chapter 5: A best friend's comfort  
  
Shyana went with Landon over to her house when the rain stopped. Her face felt swollen and her eyes still burned, her clothes were soaking wet, and her make up was smearing.  
  
'Why were you out there in the rain this late? I mean it's like 11:00 pm now.' Landon was trying to comfort her, still not knowing exactly why she was crying in the first place.  
  
'Its nothing . . . I just feel really sad. Everything in my life is going wrong.' She didn't feel like talking about it, she was tired and the night was getting colder, so she was very vulnerable for a cold.  
  
'You don't have to tell me. You don't even know me so I doubt you would. But still, does this have anything to do about Zack kissing Janis? Because you ran straight out of the building as fast as a torpedo when Zack kissed Janis.'  
  
Shyana could see Landon's eyes searching for a sign on her face. She didn't want to show that Zack was her weakness; she didn't want to show that she wasn't as strong as she promised herself she would be.  
  
'I really don't want to talk about it, and I'm really tired. I guess I just need to sleep on it for a while, but thank you for everything Landon.'  
  
'No problem really, but I would like to know what was wrong. So can we meet up again, it doesn't have to be today, but I'd like to help you with whatever it is.'  
  
'Sure Landon, no problem there neither. Also, I don't think it could be today so, maybe tomorrow or something. I wasn't planning on talking to any of Zack's friends so, well umm . . . I'm . . . uh, busy now so, maybe . . . maybe later.'  
  
'Oh ok, I can call you up or you can call me. Because after you tell me what's wrong, if it's what I think it is we can help each other out ok?'  
  
'Okay.'  
  
We swapped phone numbers and went out separate paths. I went in my house up to my room, trying to be as quiet as I could be. Even if I lost Zack, maybe I have a chance with Landon.  
  
'What am I thinking?'  
  
Shyana thought  
  
'No . . . I can't do that. I mean their friends, and well if there is any chance that Zack may like me, I still have a chance. And it wouldn't be right to go out with his friend anyways.'  
  
Shyana wrote down Landon's phone number as she remembered it, changed her clothes, and jumped into her bed. She covered her face with her pillow and breathed in the smell of her shampoo. She tried to take her mind off of everything else by focusing on that smell.  
  
They were those beautiful, sweet and wonderful roses. Her shampoo smelled like roses. Even though it was supposed to smell like pine, it smelled like roses. That's what helped her fall asleep, feeling like she was lost into a garden of roses.  
  
And she slept a dreamless sleep.  
  
* * *  
  
Zack sat underneath the tree. He wasn't going to go home anymore. He was going to stay in the woods. He was so scared; he didn't feel there was even any chance of being safe anymore. His father was probably trashing up his room again. He sat there under the tree in the rain. He listened to the sounds around him, hearing nothing but the rain drops. So he fell asleep under the tree, getting soaking wet, with nothing but his backpack and book. Wondering what the future will bring him, life or death.  
  
* * *  
  
When Shyana woke up she went straight to her kitchen, because for her being sad brought hunger. So she headed for the fridge when she noticed a small note and a letter on the table top. On the note she read:  
  
"Shyana, your dad and I went to go get some food, the fridge is empty but I left some waffles for you. Don't forget to feed muffin, she hasn't eaten yet. Oh and the letter is from Tricia, I hope she's ok. Love you!  
-Mom"  
  
'Tricia?' Shyana was so happy her best friend had gotten out of her coma, now she could visit her in Florida. She tore open the envelope and quickly pulled out the letter. She read:  
  
"Dear Shyana,  
What's up girl? I haven't heard from you in a long time. Well I probably wouldn't have been able to anyways, have been in a coma and all. My goodness! I can't believe you already moved! Are there any cute boys there? My mom said I could visit in a few weeks, after all this stupid recovering junk, I mean I feel just fine! The doctors are so overprotective. Ok well I hope you're ready to have me come back into your life! We can go to Disney world! Ha! Well write back ok? I have to eat now, ewe, apple sauce, and people I am not a senior citizen! I am a perfectly fine (and beautiful) 18 year old girl! Get a grip! Lylas girl!  
-Trish"  
  
'Yes! Tricia is coming! I have to get ready!'  
  
Shyana hurried to pull her clothes on while her waffle was toasting, she fed the dog and ate the waffle on her way to the post office. Her family didn't buy any stamps and envelopes yet, so she had to buy some new ones. And as Shyana wrote her letter to Tricia she thought that this way she wouldn't feel so alone with Tricia by her side.  
  
* *  
*  
  
While Shyana was at home sleeping, and Zack sitting under the tree, getting rest, but no sleep Landon was at his house writing in his journal.  
  
Tuesday morning, July 14, 2003  
  
'Yesterday I met this new girl who moved to Florida and had become Zack's friend. She's really pretty and I think she has a "thing" for Zack. Earlier she saw Zack and Janis kissing and she ran out of the building when she saw it. I saw her earlier this morning, she had been out all night in the cold rain crying about something, but she wouldn't tell me what. So I took her to her house and we gave each other our phone numbers. I hope to see her alter on or to get a phone call from her. Oh and Janis got back with Zack, so I guess I'm free again. Its not too bad, Janis and I never really got along like how Zack and her did, she always talked about him and wondered how he was, she never actually thought about her current boyfriend, me, who is now her ex. Oh well, never dwell on the past right?  
-Landon'  
  
Landon finished writing in his journal and went outside to play with his dog, Rascal, a golden retriever. They played Frisbee for a while and once Landon was so lost in thought that he forgot to throw the Frisbee and was knocked over by Rascal.  
  
He decided to call her later on after he had some lunch it was just 11:13 am and he thought that maybe Shyana needed some more sleep than just that. She had wasted a lot of energy crying outside, and probably didn't feel the need to be bothered.  
  
So Landon went on to talk to his mother, who was in her office doing her work. She was a work at home mother. The walls of her office were covered in all the football trophies Landon won during the school year. He was the teams lead player. She was wearing her lamb pajama pants and she was wearing her work shirt for a top with a tie and speaking to her computer.  
  
'Now listen to me James the profit need to go higher by twenty percent and no buts about it! Do you understand?'  
  
'Yes Mrs. Matheson, boss.' The man on the computer replied.  
  
'Ok good, now its time for my break I'll talk to you later James.' And Mrs. Matheson turned off the computer.  
  
She turned on her chair to face Landon and took a sip of her coffee.  
  
'Yes dear? What do you need?' She placed her coffee back on its electric heater, and took her stress ball in hand and started squeezing it furiously.  
  
'Well I don't know, just wanted to talk. I've been feeling like a need to go somewhere new all of a sudden.  
  
'Well here is twenty dollars, now make sure its something good ok? Maybe you can buy something for me or Janis of course.' His mother emphasized when she mentioned herself, wanting Landon to always buy her something when she had enough money to buy a whole shop of Victoria's secret.  
  
'Well Janis and I broke up, don't ask ok? Thanks for the money, I'll be back later, but I am going to buy something for some don't worry.'  
  
And with that Landon ran out of the room and grabbed his car keys and jacket, leaving his mother with her mouth half open, getting ready to question about Janis. So she closed her mouth with a snap and turned her computer back on, typing about something for a new sale of the diamond industry.  
  
Chapter 6: Changes  
  
Shyana was thinking about putting a no trespassing sign on the pier. Her family owned the property now and that included the pier so no one should be there anyways and anyhow, also she didn't want to see Zack ever again after how he broke her heart.  
  
He knew she liked him! And he seemed to make her think he liked her too, she didn't want to see him, she wished she had never met him. So she grabbed a piece of paper from her printer and wrote with a large permanent marker "No Trespassing!!!" and at the bottom, "Beware of Dog!" even though she knew muffin was way too small to chew or attack anyone, but at least it sounded dangerous.  
  
She received a phone call later on in the day; it was Landon asking if she wanted to go on a little trip while she was free. She said she would love to, so she left a note on the table saying she was going to be out for the rest of the evening.  
  
So Landon picked her up at around one and off they went in his little BMW convertible.  
  
'I plan to bring us to this cute little restaurant somewhere down Florida nearer to the waters. I love going there, the have the most marvelous Venetian foods and they have a beautiful view; it makes you feel like you're actually in Venice.'  
  
Landon said to Shyana while they were on the road passing a bunch of signs that indicated what the speed limit was. 'I love Venetian food! But how long will it take us to get there?'  
  
She looked out the side and watched as the car sped by the road lines, making them seem as if they were moving.  
  
'Not too long, I'm sure you'll love it there, it's a French name for the restaurant even though they mostly make the Venetian foods that I'm sure you'll love.'  
  
They kept the conversation going while Shyana kept asking him questions about what it was like and how expensive the food would be and how he could afford it. Landon would just wave his hand and say  
  
'My mother is the boss of a large diamond business and she makes great sales, my credit card is half forwarded to her bank and so are my checks so I don't have to worry.'  
  
And Shyana was impressed about everything he had. The money, the charm and all the awards he said he had earned how he played the electric guitar and all the confidence he had also the knowledge of where the best places in Florida were.  
  
Maybe it wasn't too much of a loss from Zack; he wasn't too much to worry about, even though he did seem more sensitive than Landon.  
  
When they finally stopped driving it was at this dirty old parking lot that seemed to not have been redone for a long time. There were weeds growing out of the concrete and a lot of trash lying around. Landon locked up his car and pulled the hood back on.  
  
'Okay look, now I know it doesn't look that great right now but just wait.'  
  
Before Landon had picked Shyana up, she had changed into a red spring skirt that she thought would be safe and comfortable, but now that Landon was leading her through the bushes that lined the parking lot, she started to think twice as some of these bushes had thorns on then and pointed leaves.  
  
'Here, these bushes are going to start to get worse, let me carry you.'  
  
Before Shyana could object, Landon had picked her up. It seemed to him that she was very light, yet Shyana was turning almost as pink as her dress from the embarrassment of having to be carried to get somewhere when she was perfectly capable.  
  
At last they reached the end of the bushed and Landon placed Shyana back on the ground. Shyana was shocked at what she was seeing. It was a small restaurant called 'trattoria da brace'. It had a small table with two chairs and a small vase with some flowers in it. Shyana's mouth had dropped open as she looked around some more. The restaurant seemed to glow golden in the sunlight. And beyond the little gate at the end of the concrete was the ocean, where sail boats were sailing and ducks were swimming. The restaurant was covered in flowered vines and little red flowers in the windows. It had little red and white striped curtains on the inside and out pat the ocean were little houses and beyond that a bunch of green. It looked so much like Italy.  
  
'It's strange isn't it, first were in Florida, at a French restaurant that looks like it's from Italy that cooks Venetian food. Ha! It's so nice though, what do you think?' Landon looked at Shyana, with her mouth still open.  
  
'I think its beautiful Landon! Where did you ever find a restaurant like this?'  
  
She was still looking around, obviously in awe at what she was seeing.  
  
'Actually, I work here.'  
  
Shyana quickly turned to look at him.  
  
'No. You're kidding right?'  
  
'No. I'm not kidding at all I do work here. It's a wonderful restaurant and the people here are friendly, you know, you can work here too if you like. You can be a waitress, would you like that?'  
  
Shyana nodded her head enthusiastically. She wanted to stay everyday here but she still wondered how much he got paid.  
  
They had a wonderful dinner outside at the small table and Shyana insisted on talking about Landon. He impressed her so much. After that one of the workers at the restaurant started to play a beautiful song on his violin.  
  
'Would you care to dance?' Landon asked  
  
'I'd love to.' Shyana replied  
  
And Landon and Shyana danced as a flock of geese flew overhead, and the waves gently rocked against the small wooden boat on the side of the concrete below the restaurant.  
  
* *  
*  
  
While Shyana had been away, Zack had made his way over to his house. He knocked and rang the doorbell over and over and waited very long until at around 7:00 pm Shyana's parent's came home. They told him that maybe she was out and he should go home, but he said he had something important to show her and waited until around nine for her to come home. She then finally did.  
  
He saw Landon's BMW pull up into her driveway so he walked up to it and saw Shyana inside laughing about something with Landon.  
  
'Hey Landon, what's up?'  
  
Shyana looked at him for only a second and made an angry face then turned away.  
  
'Oh Zack, I was just taking Shyana to dinner for a little while, don't worry, I helped her get a new job, well I have to go okay?'  
  
And Landon quickly pulled out and drove away without Zack saying anymore. Shyana was slowly walking towards her door, so Zack ran up to her.  
  
'Shyana what is wrong with you?!'  
Shyana quickly turned around and almost knocked Zack over with her speed, she was definitely angry.  
  
'What's my problem? What's your problem?!' She started to turn around but Zack grabbed her by the arm.  
  
'Get off of me!'  
  
'Shyana I just want you to be happy!'  
  
Shyana was almost to her door she opened it and stepped inside 'If you want to make me happy then there is one simple thing that you can do for me.'  
  
'I'll do anything.'  
  
'Leave.'  
  
And she shut the door in his face. He stood there alone for the next five minutes thinking about what had just happened. He didn't want to believe it. He really did like her and wanted to get to know her better. I'm coming back tomorrow then, he thought, whether she likes it or not.  
  
Chapter 7: Fish kisses  
  
Shyana started her new job one day later; she enjoyed working at such a beautiful place and appreciated the help that Landon was giving her. He was very careful with his words and actions and she started to like him a lot.  
  
One day she was sweeping the outside of the store when Landon rushed outside and asked her if she wanted to go for a little boat ride. She said yes, thinking it would be on a large boat, motorized or being rowed by another person, but she was wrong. He climbed over the little fence beside the restaurant and jumped over the side into the little wooden boat.  
  
'Come on!' he yelled.  
  
'Landon are you sure this is safe? I mean I've just been working here for a week and I don't want to get fired, plus the boat reeks of fish.' She noticed that there was some stuff lying inside the boat there was a net inside and a small cooler.  
  
'We won't get in trouble, the boss wants me to catch some fish, and he says that you can help so you can learn how to do this when I'm promoted to being head frying man.'  
  
Shyana gave a small smile and tied her brown hair up into a ponytail.  
  
'Will you catch me if I fall?'  
  
He ran his hand through his sun-streaked blonde hair and thought for a second. Well might as well give it a try man he thought to himself.  
  
'I'm only going to catch you if you're falling for me!'  
  
Shyana smiled and said  
  
'Of course I am!'  
  
So she climbed on the fence and let herself fall. Landon caught her just in time and held her for a second. He wanted to kiss her so bad, and she did say she was falling for him, but instead he held himself back, he didn't want her to think of him as someone who wanted to make a real steady relationship fast.  
  
Shyana looked into his eyes; she wanted to be held him forever. Now she was happy she knew Zack because if Shyana had never known Zack then she would have never met Landon. He twisted her ponytail with his fingers then turned away. Ok I'm going to have to row us out there so you'd better get comfy, if it's possible. He smiled at her and she sat down, looking at the water, it looked murky and she was glad she had jumped into the boat and not made a mistake of falling into the water.  
  
She tried to feel comfortable but the wood on the boat seemed to creak at her every move. Landon untied the boat from the hook it was tied to and took the oars and paddled out into the sea. Once they were somewhat in the middle of it all and the water wasn't as murky, Landon started hooking the net to the side of the boat.  
  
'Want to do this part while I get the bait ready?'  
  
He stopped hooking the net and held it up to her.  
  
'Ok but, why do you need bait if your using a net?'  
  
He turned around and grabbed something from the cooler.  
  
'Because why would the fish come up to the net in the first place if they didn't have anything to come up there for?'  
  
He opened the jar he was holding and Shyana realized it was full of chunks of fish meat.  
  
'I thought fish ate worms.'  
  
He looked at her in a funny way and said:  
  
'You've never been fishing have you?'  
  
'Nope I have never been fishing before, my dad isn't the fishing type, and he's more of the house cleaning kind of guy. Mom makes the money and dad cleans the house, but works part time at the grocery shop.'  
  
'Ok well, the bigger fish prefer the taste of meat, so the bigger the fish the better right?'  
  
She nodded her head and started hooking the net to the little hooks on the side of the boat.  
  
Landon threw the meat onto the little pouches in the net. So that's where it goes, Shyana thought.  
  
'And now we just wait for a while.'  
  
'And you get paid for this?'  
  
'Yeah, and your being paid too, isn't it neat?'  
  
He took out two sandwiches from the cooler.  
  
'This is also used as bait. Tuna fish sandwiches, fish love them, I hate them.'  
  
So he threw pieces of the sandwich into the pouches with the meat.  
  
'So . . . my friend Tricia is coming over next week, do you think she could hang with us for a little while? She's only visiting for a little while and she just came out of a coma so what do you think?'  
  
'Sure she can come, but do you promise that once in a while we could still have a day alone? You know just you and me hanging?'  
  
Shyana seemed lost for a second. Does this mean he wants to be alone with me because he likes me or just because he thinks having Tricia over all the time would be annoying? She didn't want to disagree with Landon so she said okay.  
  
Landon turned his head from the water and walked over to Shyana's side of the boat and sat down next to her.  
  
Okay don't think just do, Landon thought. So he pretended to snore and laid his head on Shyana's lap.  
  
She smiled at him and glanced at the net. Some fishes were starting to bite at the meat. She looked back down at Landon, who had closed his eyes and started to make snoring sounds.  
  
She started to laugh and he opened his eyes.  
  
He didn't say a word or make a face; he lifted himself up on his elbows and leaned in to kiss her. Shyana thought she would never feel this happy again. Neither of them stopped and suddenly Shyana fell off her seat and onto the floor of the boat, but neither of them pulled away until they heard the sound of at least a hundred fish flapping in the water. That's when they looked up. Landon started laughing.  
  
'Today must be my lucky day.' Then he went back to kissing Shyana.  
  
Once they had stopped and went back to the restaurant, then given the fish to their boss; who was very pleased indeed, they were a mess.  
  
Their boss, Mr.Perrar, let them off an hour early. Shyana was very glad because she didn't want her family to see her like this messy. So she rode home with Landon before her parents were able to go home.  
  
When she reached her house and gotten out of the car, Landon walked her to her door and gave her a little present.  
  
'I bought this for you the other day, I hope you like it.'  
  
He took out a small bag from his pocket and emptied it into his hand. It was a small ID bracelet.  
  
'I love it.'  
  
Shyana put it on and gave Landon one more long kiss. Then she went inside and leaned against the door. What a wondrous day she thought. Then she rushed upstairs to her room to take a long shower, because she still smelled like fish.  
  
* *  
*  
  
Landon had seen it all, he had been hiding behind a tree and watched Shyana kiss Landon. He felt so sad, but he couldn't let that stop him from liking Shyana. Janis had been angry at him earlier from smelling like moss and not paying attention to her and argued about him always talking about Shyana and how nice she was she said he was acting really fishy. He had to go home later on and his father threw a chair at him, so he had to stay with Janis in her room for a while. Her room was a trailer since she had so many siblings and wanted some room of her own, so Zack planned to stay there for a while. He had picked up his clothes from his house. Janis wanted him to be in love with her, but he wanted Shyana. And he wouldn't settle for anything less.  
  
Chapter 8- Just visiting  
  
Shyana could barely contain her excitement. She and Landon had driven to the airport to pick up Tricia and her plane was to be landing soon. Shyana was screeching with happiness when she saw Tricia walk out of the corridor. Tricia looked around and looked as if she couldn't see Shyana.  
  
'Trish! Over here!' Tricia turned around and saw her.  
  
'Dang girl, you look so different! Did you lose a couple, what, twenty thirty pounds?'  
  
'Very funny Trish, this is my boyfriend, landon. Landon, this is my best friend Tricia Castalia.'  
  
'Actually my real name is Olivine but I prefer Tricia.'  
  
'It's my pleasure to meet you.'  
  
Landon was kind of jealous that Shyana was so excited about spending time with Tricia that she almost forgot about Landon. But since he wanted her to be happy he just let it go. He never did understand why when girls were usually together, they forget about the boy's that came with them.  
  
Then Shyana turned to him. She looked at him into his eyes deeply and took his collar and pulled him close to her as she leaned over.  
  
'Would you. . .'  
  
'Would I what?'  
  
'Would you like some . . . Ice cream?!'  
  
She started laughing and Landon just smiled, no matter how much Landon insisted to pay for the ice cream for them, Shyana still paid. She bought one small ice cream for Tricia and an extra large for Landon.  
  
'Where's yours?'  
  
'I wanted to share with you.'  
  
So they ate their ice cream as they talked and talked about what had happened over the time that they haven't seen each other, but Shyana didn't mention Zack, she wanted to try and forget all about him. Yet all of a sudden Tricia asked. Shyana had told hr what had happened in one of her previous letters.  
  
'So does he still hang with you guys?'  
  
Shyana shook her head no.  
  
'He has other things to do.'  
  
So they sat in silence while they drove back to the house. When they got there Tricia said that Landon and Shyana could go ahead and go have dinner somewhere while she got her rest, she was supposed to have a two hour nap every day at that time to help her head.  
  
So while Shyana and Landon had a fun time out at the trattoria da brace' Tricia was awakened by a loud knock on the door. Shyana's mother was off at work and her father out on his military duties. So she had to wake up and go to the door. There stood a thin, but muscular, young boy, about her age, 18 or 19. He looked at her and said:  
  
'Is Shyana home?'  
  
Tricia looked at him and realized that he must be zack.  
  
'I'm sorry she's uh . . . she's out somewhere what do you need?  
  
'I wanted to talk.'  
  
'You can talk to me, my name is Tricia, and you must be Zack.'  
  
'Yeah, I am.'  
  
So Zack told Tricia all about his feelings for Shyana and what he wanted to tell her. He wanted to tell her that he needed help. That his father was abusive, and his girlfriend (Janis) wasn't a help because she wouldn't listen to him. Tricia listened, and showed emotions like In the movies. Tricia would give gasps, sighs, and expressions on her face. Tricia told Zack that she would tell Shyana all about it, and that she would try to help anyway that she could. Zack told her he doubted anyone could do anything about it. Only Shyana could. Somehow zack knew that her love and her beauty of his mother could help his father, be more than just the evil person he was.  
  
'I know your just visiting and I'm sorry to have to get you in the middle of this all but well . . . I just need some one to tell.' Zack was kind of embarrassed that he had told a total stranger all about his private life. But Tricia didn't mind at all. She promised to tell Shyana everything. Zack gave her Janis's cell phone number, which Janis had let zack have. Zack went back to Janis's trailer and went to sleep, hoping that Shyana would forgive him.  
  
When Shyana came home, Tricia was waiting outside with a solemn expression on her face.  
  
'We need to talk' she said, as she pulled Shyana in the house and closed the door.  
  
Chapter 9: It can be better  
  
'Look, Zack was here a little while ago.'  
  
Shyana looked up from her ID bracelet.  
  
'Should I really care?'  
  
He didn't mean anything to her anymore. They were no longer friends, just acquaintances.  
  
'Sit down Shyana this is very important. He's being hurt badly. He was bruised and scratched and well, just hurt when he came over.'  
  
Shyana sat down. She thought he might have gotten into trouble and gotten beaten up again or something. She didn't have any business in his business anyways.  
  
Tricia took hold of hr by her shoulders and shook her.  
  
'He's being abused by his father and it gets worse every time he goes near that house. Zack says maybe you can help. You look a lot like his mother, he told me so.'  
  
Shyana finally looked into her eyes.  
  
'Really Trish, How would that ever help? I mean sure I may look like his mother, but just because I look like someone in his house doesn't mean that his family is going to take favor in me.'  
  
'Shyana Belle McKessa, listen to me. His mother died of cancer, his father blames Zack. This is what is triggering the anger in him. And he takes it out on what he thinks is the cause, namely Zack. And Zack cares for his father a lot but, well, he's also afraid of him. He said he never meant to hurt you, and he still likes you a lot. He wants you to help him. He wants to meet you at the pier tomorrow. He wants to invite you to dinner, yet he wants me to come for protection.'  
  
Shyana had to smile at this. Tricia may have been perky and fashionable, like her but she was not the fighter type. She even said herself that she couldn't kill a dead fly. So Shyana agreed. Sure she was kind of scared about the part that Zack actually thought of protection needing to be there. Maybe he was joking. His father wouldn't hurt a stranger, or would he? Shyana knew nothing of Zack's father; she hadn't even known that his mother died.  
  
The next day came. Landon called asking if Shyana would like to go out to the zoo with Trish to come and feed the dolphins. His friend worked there so that they could come over anytime they wanted to. But Shyana had also promised to meet zack at the pier and she always kept her promises.  
  
It was five thirty when Shyana saw him. She had dressed nicely so she looked respectful. Tricia was a little suspicious so she brought some pepper spray. She also brought some for Shyana.  
  
'I hoped you would be here.' Zack smiled a bit. There was a slight quiver in Zack's voice, as if he were scared or something.  
  
Shyana looked at Tricia. She nodded and they followed Zack as he walked down the street.  
  
When they got to the house it looked very ordinary, as if nothing bad could have been happening inside. But there was a ladder that had been knocked down near a broken window on the left side of the cream house. The window sides were a reddish color and the curtains were white, it was a beautiful house actually. Yet the front lawn was unkempt and the rose bushes were overgrowing onto the front steps of the house.  
  
'Hey Zack,' Shyana asked  
  
He looked at her questioningly  
  
'Is this going to be one of those long-term sorts of things?' Zack looked at her then at the house.  
  
'It probably will be.'  
  
Then he walked up to the house and looked at the doorbell. It was busted, apparently punched to the end of its function. So Zack took the gold painted locker on the front of the red door and knocked three loud times.  
  
A grandfather clock from inside ringed that it was six o' clock already. The doorknob turned and the door opened, there stood Zack's father, the one who caused pain for Zack, and the one who forced Zack to go and live elsewhere, Mr. Anderson himself.  
  
Chapter 10: First Bloodshed  
  
Shyana was surprised. From what she had thought of an abusing father to be Mr. Anderson definitely didn't fit the part. He had a black suit and tie and his hair was combed back neatly. Not bald, no tattoo's or anything that showed there could be something wrong with him or his mind. When Mr. Anderson had first looked at Shyana he smiled a little and his eyes sparkled, then he turned to Zack and he suddenly lost his happiness.  
  
'What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be somewhere else Zack? Somewhere else hurting people?'  
  
Zack was the one who looked hurt when his father said this, and Shyana felt pretty sorry for him so she cut in.  
  
'Oh Mr. Anderson, my name is Shyana McKessa and this is my friend Tricia Castalia. We were here to cook some dinner for you. Zack was wondering if we wanted to go out and eat but we said we could just cook for you and him.'  
  
Mr. Anderson turned towards Zack, who had looked pretty surprised.  
  
'Okay, come on in. I can help make it with you, I'm very good at cooking and you can just call me Thomas.'  
  
The three of them walked into the house. It was fairly clean except for the cobwebs and dusts everywhere. It seemed as if the house hadn't had a good dusting in a while.  
  
'Did Zack tell you he was having trouble here?'  
  
Before Shyana could answer Mr. Anderson, or Thomas, Zack told him he had told Shyana everything about what his father did and why. He told him it was because she might be able to help them. Zack's father of course was not pleased. They had an argument for a little while then Tricia sprayed a little bit of pepper spray in the air which got both of their attentions.  
  
'Both of you stop it,' she said  
  
'You're acting like five year old's. We should be talking about this more calm and civilized than you are. Stop bickering so Shyana and I can cook the food while you two just tell us how you feel about each other.'  
  
It took a while, but while Shyana and Tricia were making the spaghetti and chicken Alfredo, Thomas and Zack talked over everything that was going on in their hearts. There was much Drama and sometimes even crying. It was a funny scene without the subject. Two girls cooking chicken pasta while two strong men were sitting at the dinner table weeping. They ate while they talked and Zack went to Janis's house for the night afterwards. Shyana and Tricia would have to come back again soon to help with more of the arguments, but they were getting somewhere.  
  
'Did you notice Thomas was acting strange around you. Like he was afraid to hurt you or something? I don't know he looked like you were going to die right in front of him.'  
  
They were sleeping in Shyana's room, both talking about what had been happening.  
  
'Well he probably misses his wife, and since I must look like her I wouldn't blame him. If I ever met another person who looked like Connor I wouldn't want to let him get hurt in any way neither, I would probably want to make the best impression ever also so he may not be as nice as he was acting.'  
  
Shyana felt bad at what she said after that. Her heart still hadn't healed from Connor. She missed him so much. But she had to concentrate on what was going on in the present. She couldn't allow herself to dwell on her past.  
  
* *  
*  
  
Earlier that day Landon had been with his friend at the Zoo feeding the dolphins.  
  
'Chris do you think Shyana and I make a good couple, I mean you know . . . is our relationship questionable?' Landon by then smelled a lot like fish.  
  
Chris had been one of those people at subway when Landon had first met Shyana.  
  
'Well man, if I'm going to be honest . . . then yea I'd say your relationship is very questionable indeed. My ex-girlfriend and I had a tough relationship too but well, I asked her to marry me the other night and I found she had another dude too, and she said she loved him more. The dude and I had met on a train earlier; both of us were going to propose to someone that night, we never knew it was going to be the same girl.'  
  
Landon looked questioningly at Chris for him to say more.  
  
'I think he had a car crash after that. I lose the girl but hey, life goes on.'  
  
Chris looked a bit teary by then, his blondish hair falling before his eyes as he cleaned the shallow waters of the dolphin tank. Landon was kind of speechless then. If Chris could stand that then Landon could surely stand for Zack and Shyana, they never really knew each other that well anyways.  
  
They swam with the dolphins and fed them. Landon drove home earlier to check on his dog, Rascal. Still he could not get it out of his head that maybe Shyana would go back to Zack, probably get to know him better, and fall for him instead. As Landon was pondering his relationship his cell phone was ringing non-stop, about an emergency. It was a call from Zack.  
  
* *  
*  
  
Shyana's phone had been ringing also; it was from Zack's cell phone. When she picked it up though, it was Janis.  
  
'Shyana please come here quick!!! Zack's father just busted into my trailer while I wasn't home! There was a not that was on my bed with a knife through it. Zack's dad is holding him hostage! Come quick!'  
  
'I'll be there in a few minutes.'  
  
Shyana hung up and grabbed her jacket.  
  
'Trish come on, wake up!'  
  
Tricia gave a grunt then Shyana shook hr by the shoulders.  
  
'Zack's in trouble we have to help him!'  
  
So Tricia woke up, her hair was messy, not having time to fix it, they drove all the way to Janis's trailer, where Zack had said he was staying about two miles down.  
  
Janis was standing outside of her trailer when Shyana and Tricia pulled up.  
  
'Okay what happened?'  
  
Shyana then took a look at the trailer, it had been beaten in many places and it looked as if it had been hit with a bat. In some places there were gun holes.  
  
'Get in my car!' Shyana yelled to the two.  
  
She drove over sixty miles per hour and ran a red light. She didn't care. One of her friends were in trouble of being hurt, even killed.  
  
Once they got there they heard gunshots. They all thought they might be too late. Janis thought that the person she loved most would be killed. Shyana thought a friend would be killed, and Tricia thought that the boy her friend was probably destined to be with was killed. Tricia honestly didn't really like Landon that much.  
  
All three of them ran to the back o the house where they saw Zack lying on the ground holding his arm, which was bleeding, and his father was standing right above him, with his gun aimed right at Zack's heart.  
  
Chapter 11: Having Faith  
  
Mr. Anderson, or Thomas's hair was messed up and his shirt was torn. His face was red and he had blood splattered all over his white shirt. His arm was bleeding also. It looked as though Zack had cut him with a knife.  
  
'Stop it!' Shyana yelled at Mr. Anderson. He turned and looked at her. Then all of a sudden his face softened and he dropped the gun. Then he looked back at Zack and a wave of sympathy overcame him.  
  
'Oh my, are you . . . okay?' He reached for Zack but Zack just scooted back and yelled for his father to stay away from him. The police had just arrived. They had received the phone call from Janice also. Tricia and Shyana ran to Zack to try and help him when Janis ran to the spot where Mr. Anderson was standing.  
  
'I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry.' Mr. Anderson kept saying over and over again as the police locked him into the car.  
  
Janis was standing there, grinning like a lunatic. Then she walked over to Zack.  
  
'Are you okay honey?' she had stuffed something into her purse then she watched as the medics strapped Zack to a stretcher then packed him into the ambulance. All three girls rode in the ambulance also, with Janis grinning all the way to the hospital.  
  
* *  
*  
  
Landon had just gotten home and was having a small snack when his cell phone started ringing again. It was Shyana.  
  
'Landon, can you come to the hospital, as quickly as you can? Zack's been hurt badly.'  
  
Landon quickly finished his snack and jumped in his car. He drove to the hospital very fast. But there was traffic because of a car crash. So Landon couldn't get there as fast as he had hoped. It took him about three hours to get there.  
  
While Landon was struggling through the traffic, Shyana was playing over history. She sat beside Zack in the hospital room. He looked up at her as she sang to him a sweet song that she had heard one day.  
  
'Love, I long for you with all of my heart. I wish for you to come and stay and I'll sing to you this song, if you'll just stay with me for one last day.'  
  
As Shyana sang the last verse Tricia had just remembered where the song had come from. It was from a really old singer that Shyana had told her about. The sad thing was that was the exact song that was playing in the elevator when Tricia was going to Shyana's hospital room after the car crash.  
  
Janis couldn't stand it. As she sat in a chair on the other side of the hospital bed that Zack was in, and as she watched Shyana stroke his head gently and sing to him, she couldn't stand how obvious it was. That Zack really did love her; he was love-struck. She sat there, without Zack or Shyana noticing her existence. Only the other girl would glance at her every five minutes.  
  
But Janis had an idea. Before the police had come to search for the weapon that was used to harm Zack, Janis picked it up. Later on she planned to use it on Shyana if Zack didn't stop falling in love with her. If Janis couldn't be with Zack . . . no one could.  
  
Landon finally got out of the traffic by taking a back road. It was twice as long but at least no one else was on the road. He drove over the speed limit and was on the brink of losing control but he wanted to make sure Shyana wasn't harmed at all and also that his best friend, Zack, would be okay.  
  
He ran into the hospital, ignoring the commands from the head nurse screaming at him to stop. He ran to the elevator, but the door closed right in his face. He punched the button, hoping it would come down again, but all it did was bust the surrounding metal to the button of the elevator.  
  
So he ran up the stairs, and looked inside each room. Then he heard singing. It was coming from a room down the corridor, so he turned left and ran into the third room on his right. Shyana, surprised, had stopped singing. Zack looked over at the door, squinting from the pain.  
  
Landon ran to Shyana and gave her a big hug. Zack turned on his side so he wouldn't have to see it. Janis was standing now. She had opened her arms also thinking that Landon had come for her. But he kept hugging Shyana and wouldn't let go, no matter how long Janis stood there. Her arms were still open but her expression had changed, instead of that pretty innocent blonde girl, she had become somewhat of a jealous monster.  
  
She sat back down, pouting, and scheming of how to kill Shyana. She had stolen both her men's hearts without even knowing it.  
  
'Soon enough,' Janis thought 'be patient, soon enough . . . she'll be dead.'  
  
Chapter 12: Loving the other  
  
Zack's dad was released after about three months in Jail. Tricia had gone home about five weeks after the incident. Landon and Shyana would spend time together. But at sunset it was for Zack and Shyana only. They would sit there and talk. As much as Shyana wanted to deny it, she realized she had the same amount of feelings for both Zack and Landon. It was a great experience to finally be able to feed the dolphins with Landon, and even better to ride them with him. The restaurant was suddenly becoming busier and more crowded. Landon and Shyana would sometimes still go fishing and throw pieces of tuna sandwich at the biggest fishes they could find.  
  
Landon had made a funny joke about them having to have the best time they could while they weren't in the frying pan yet.  
  
Then zack would be so sensitive at the pier, and some nights would bring her out to dinner. But once Zack's father came home, Shyana and Zack would go to him and talk. They were making progress of course, even tough the whole conversation had to be supervised by two tough looking guards.  
  
Meanwhile, Janis was still scheming of a way to kill Shyana, even though about two years had passed, and Landon and Zack's feelings for Shyana were becoming stronger and her feelings for them too, Janis was still angry that they weren't going gaga over her like they were for Shyana. Shyana had continued a new internship to become a marine biologist and was now attending the University of Florida to graduate and become a marine biologist.  
  
To Janis they were practically the same person. Janis loved to play video games, hang with the boys, read magazines, and play the guitar. Shyana liked playing tennis, hanging with Landon, and Zack, and read and write books and poetry. There was no real difference to Janis.  
  
'Hey Ryan, what's up?'  
  
Landon's best friend Ryan was on the phone. Landon had just called him to tell him what he was going to do next Friday night.  
  
'Hey Landon . . . nothing much is going on. How bout' you? You sound overly excited to tell me something. What you getting married yet?'  
  
This was a single phrase that would usually get Landon laughing, but this time he was extra serious.  
  
'Yes.'  
  
One single word Landon said and his friend was silenced.  
  
'Man, do you mean your going to ask her to marry you?'  
  
'Of course, and she cant help but say yes.'  
  
Landon was obsessed with his idea. They would go to the trattoria de brace, then into the boat and onto the darkened sea. Under the spotlight from the moon, and Landon would pull out the ring and ask her. Then she would say yes it was a perfect plan. Landon never thought that there was a possibility that Shyana would say no.  
  
Zack was sitting on the pier holding Shyana's hand at that time. Shyana didn't refuse, she's known zack for so long, and he meant a lot to her . . . but Landon did too. They sat in silence. Zack could say nothing at all, being so close to Shyana, he was afraid that anything he'd say would sound hurtful, or just plain stupid. They had just come from Zack's house.  
  
His father was becoming nicer and more trustworthy. Zack stopped living in Janis's trailer, he needed to go home. Zack's father helped fix up his room, and they fixed the window. They also put the book from Zack's mother in a glass case and bought a new copy, so Zack could remember his mother forever.  
  
Landon had left a message on Shyana's cell, saying that she should come to the trattoria de brace later on around nine. So she was keeping the extra time she had to her and Zack. They had talked about everything from the latest gossip, to the meaning of life. They didn't keep secrets from each other. Shyana had even told Zack how she felt about both him and Zack. It was eight o' clock when they started sitting in silence. Fifteen minutes passed and Shyana stood up getting ready to go and get dressed.  
  
'I'll see you tomorrow Zack' He stood up and kissed her on the cheek.  
  
Shyana felt a cold breeze pass through her hair, and she saw Zack so wonderfully, so mature.  
  
'Sure, see you.' And he turned and walked away.  
  
Shyana was still standing there. Dazed, she felt wonderful, yet she didn't know why.  
  
'Do I love Zack?' She smiled to herself and thought about it. While she dressed into a light and soft white sweater and a new pair of jeans she had just bought that weekend. She had forgotten to rip off the page on her calendar; it had scribbles all over it, about what had happened and all on that day. So she tucked it into her journal and grabbed her jean jacket, swinging it on. Never suspecting what she was about to realize in a couple of hours.  
  
She drove to the parking lot near the trattoria de brace and ran through the bushes. Landon was looking at something in his hand then when he realized Shyana was there he quickly shoved it into his pocket.  
  
'You ready to go?' Landon asked nodding at the water below.  
  
'Of course I'm ready.' Shyana jumped into the boat after Landon did. She was still afraid she'd knock the boat over and plummet into the water. Landon rowed softly. It looked as though he was in his dream world, smiling at the full moon. Shyana of course was suspicious of why Landon seemed to be so happy. It was as though he was about to own the world.  
  
Landon stopped the boat in the middle of the water and lit a candle on the bench in front of him. He took out a plate of pasta, and put out some silverware and two glasses of water. He then looked Shyana in he eyes and watched as she threw bread into the water for the ducks that decided to stay out late that night.  
  
Then Landon said 'I love you so much Shyana.'  
  
Quickly Shyana turned her head. 'What?'  
  
'I said I love you. I was also wondering,' he reached into his pocket and took out a small container, opened it, to show that inside it held a diamond ring.  
  
', will you marry me?'  
  
Shyana smiled knowing to herself what to do.  
  
'Landon.'  
  
'Yes?'  
  
He was grinning, thinking she was going to say yes.  
  
'I can't marry you.'  
  
Chapter 13: Just a matter of time  
  
'What? Why?'  
  
Landon lost his smile, he was as confused as ever and wondered why or how Shyana could say no to his proposal.  
  
'I can't marry you because I just realized something.'  
  
'And that would be?'  
  
'I love Zack.'  
  
Landon just nodded, devastated but understanding.  
  
'I love you too Landon, and if I didn't love Zack so much I would definitely marry you.'  
  
'I know. But I'm happy Zack finally got what he wanted the whole time, someone that truly loved him. Want me to take you home now? So you can tell him?'  
  
'Yes please.'  
  
Landon rowed back to the trattoria de brace and pulled Shyana up to the restaurant. Then he drove her over to Zack's house, and left her after a kiss good bye.  
  
Shyana rang the doorbell twice and Zack's father opened the door.  
  
'Yes dear?' he was smiling and wearing a white apron with a lobster on it, apparently from cooking dinner.  
  
'I would like to see Zack.'  
  
Zack came from the back and ran outside to see Shyana; he closed the door behind him and smiled at his dad.  
  
Shyana told him the whole deal with Landon asking her to marry him.  
  
'So you're getting married?'  
  
'No, and you know why I refused?'  
  
'Why?'  
  
'I refused because I realized something very important.'  
  
'What was so important that you wouldn't marry the one person you love?'  
  
'The important thing was that the one person I love is you!'  
  
Shyana gave him a long hard hug with her crying tears of joy. Zack was smiling and stroking her head.  
  
'So will you marry me?'  
  
Shyana pulled away and looked him in the eye, grinning.  
  
'Yes.'  
  
* *  
*  
  
Landon was walking around the trails in the woods the next morning. It was around 6:00 in the morning, and the dew was still sticking to the grass and leaves around him. He was pretty sad about Shyana rejecting him, but she loved Zack. Landon was second best.  
  
Anyways it was his best friend, and he wanted him and Shyana both happy, so he couldn't do anything against Zack. He deserved her; Landon abandoned him in his time of need, so he is the one who truthfully deserves Shyana.  
  
Landon took Zack's girlfriend and all of his friends away from him, when zack was asking them to help him with his father. . . . And they abandoned him . . . what true friend would do that?  
  
Landon didn't care where he was going, he just wrapped his jacket around him, and stuck is hands in the pockets . . . the ring was still there. Landon took it out and looked at it for a few minutes, still walking down the trail.  
  
He tripped on a large log, because he wasn't looking at where he was going. He started to fall down the hill. He was getting dizzy, and he couldn't stop falling suddenly he hit a rock on the side of his head, and was knocked unconscious, and he kept rolling until he landed on the shore beside a small stream, where he lay, teetering on the brink of death.  
  
* *  
*  
  
Shyana was on the phone with Tricia, giggling about Shyana's engagement.  
  
'See and you thought you were never going to get married until you were old and wrinkly and look at you! You're twenty one! Heck I'm twenty and don't even have a steady boyfriend. (Sigh) Well at least you have someone who truly loves you. Hey! Maybe I can hook up with Landon eh? How does that sound. You get your man I get your ex! Haha just kidding girl, don't freak out on me.' Tricia yelled over the phone. Due to the music her boyfriend had turned up on her stereo.  
  
'Very funny Tricia, I still love Landon but not as much as Zack. How does Shyana Anderson sound?'  
  
'It sound very you. Yet . . . oh hold on. Michael, can you please turn that thing down? Okay well, did you tell your parents you're engaged yet? I mean you in college and living in your apartment and all, and with your marine biology thing. Yeah maybe they'd want to know something in your love life has finally crossed the line.'  
  
'You're making me sound like I haven't had a date in fifteen years! But yes, I did tell my parents and their ecstatic about it. They got to know Thomas, you know, Zack's dad, my future father-in-law, and they like him.'  
  
'Lucky! Well I have to go now. Peace girl.'  
  
'Peace.'  
  
Shyana had been writing in her journal for the past two hours, making plans for her wedding. She was so happy she was getting married, even though it wasn't until August the next year, it was only February now.  
  
'Shyana Anderson. Shyana Belle . . . Anderson. Oh that sounds perfect.'  
  
She rolled over on her bed and looked out her window, it was a beautiful day. The sky was blue and the sun was shining brightly. Shyana no longer lived in her house in front of the pier. She now lived in a small apartment for college, but over the weekend she always went back to her house.  
  
'I think I'll go to the mall and buy some new clothes for school.'  
  
While Shyana was at the mall, Janis was getting ready for that night. She had planned it all, she was going to get Shyana to come to the pier, and then she would talk to her for a while.  
  
Distract her with something Janis would pretend to see on the beach, wait until she turned her back and shoot her. Easy but then, there was always hiding the body. Janis would throw her in the water and watch until she drifted off into the setting sun.  
  
Nothing was hard about that plan. Sure Landon and Zack would probably be very angry, but they would never know it had been Janis, and she could live her life knowing she was the only girl for them. Janis was ready, and while she waited for the time to come, she would take a walk in the woods, just to enjoy what a wonderful day it was going to be in just a matter of time.  
  
Chapter 14: The last moment  
  
Janis was walking through the woods and laughing and talking loudly about her plan.  
  
'Shyana is going to be dead! Haha cause I'm going to shoot her at the pier . . .'  
  
She blurted her whole plan out thinking no one was in the woods other than her. Landon had just woken up. He caught pieces of it. He slowly got up and ran out of the woods, limping on his leg and holding his head, which was bleeding. He needed help, but Shyana needed it more.  
  
Shyana had just finished shopping. She had taken about six hours to go shopping, buying things from new socks to a new handbag she was planning to use on her trip to the beach that weekend. Then she caught up with Zack to see some new movies', both comedies coming out, which was apparently three hours long each. So it was about two when she got back home. Zack kissed Shyana goodbye and drove back home to cook dinner for his dad.  
  
After reading a few more pages of "a walk to remember" Shyana took a long shower. She was interrupted in the middle of rinsing her hair out when she got a call from Janis on her cell phone. She wrapped her towel around hr and struggled to wipe the soap from her eyes. She combed her hair back with her fingers and opened her phone.  
  
'Hello? Shyana is this you?'  
  
'Yeah it's me. Umm, what's up?'  
  
'Oh can you meet me out at eight tonight in front of your old house in front of the pier, maybe just for a little friendly talk, you know, since we haven't been talking in a while.'  
  
'Okay sure sounds great.'  
  
'Okay. I'll talk to you later then, bye'  
  
Shyana was shivering, since she had just gotten out of a hot shower, and her heater wasn't turned up that high, since she didn't want to pay too much for the bills. She hurried and finished rinsing her hair, got dressed into her newest outfit; a pair of flower decorated blue jeans and a low white turtle neck, blow dried her hair and drove out to go to a drive through nearby. Shyana was taking her time, never knowing that she had only about an hour until death was coming by her house.  
  
Landon called Zack on his phone urgently. Zack needed to come too. Landon couldn't fight in his condition alone. Zack agreed and said he would be there. Landon was having a hard time walking and was close to blacking out again, but he didn't want Shyana to be hurt, nevertheless killed.  
  
Shyana drove to her old home. Her parents weren't there again; they had to go to a meeting about neighborhood watch. Janis was waiting there already digging through her red purse and looking at something. When Shyana drove up she looked up and smiled a big grin. Something about Janis made Shyana feel a little uncomfortable, but she got over it in a few minutes.  
  
'Let's walk down on the beach, it's a nice time to go ahead and look for some little things that my have washed up on the shore. Maybe there's some jewelry we can sell or something.'  
  
Janis was still smiling. But Shyana agreed to go down onto the beach. She loved searching for little treasures.  
  
'Look I think I see something over there. Why don't you go ahead and look?'  
  
'Umm, okay.'  
  
Shyana was bent down looking for whatever Janis was talking about. Janis slowly pulled out the gun. It was the one that Zack's father had used. And now it was going to be used to kill Shyana.  
  
She was just about ready to pull the trigger when she heard a car door slam, but didn't take notice to it, and right when she pulled the trigger, Zack jumped right in front of Shyana.  
  
It was like slow motion. Shyana turned around and when she saw Zack on the ground bleeding and shaking from the pain, she was screaming "No!!!"  
  
Even Janis was shocked. She was trying to kill Shyana so she could be with Zack, but now Zack was going to die.  
  
'Well I might as well finish was I was here for.' Janis thought. She was crying then, for Zack but she knew that she should as well kill Shyana.  
  
She held up the gun once more. But Landon jumped on her, and she accidentally shot him too. She shot him in the arm and he rolled over to the side near the rocks. She looked at Shyana crying over Zack and Landon squinting from the pain he was suffering.  
  
'I'm so sorry. . . Shyana . . .'  
  
Shyana looked up, her face was stained with tears, and Zack was breathing in small gasps. He had been shot in the stomach and bleeding severely, it was obvious he was going to die.  
  
Janis held her gun up to her head. There was one bullet left. She closed her eyes.  
  
'I'm sorry.'  
  
And she pulled the trigger.  
  
* *  
*  
  
Shyana was still crying over Zack. Landon was getting up to his feet and walked over to Shyana.  
  
Zack opened his eyes and looked at them. Between coughs he spoke his last true words.  
  
'Shyana,'  
  
Shyana leaned closer to hear him. He was speaking so softly and was turning very pale. She held his hand to her face.  
  
'Shyana, I love you with all my heart. And I know I'm not going to survive this, but at least you're okay. So I want you to always be happy, so marry Landon. He'll do you good. He truly loves you. As do I, but maybe I do just a little bit more. Never forget me Shyana. I . . . love . . . you.'  
  
Zack's hand fell from Shyana's face, as she cried harder, her tears wracking her body.  
  
'No Zack. No! Don't leave me. Don't leave me.'  
  
But Shyana knew Zack was gone, and she would never be with him again. Landon held her close, sorry that all this had to happen. The police would be coming there soon, but they were too late to save Zack. They were too late.  
  
* *  
*  
  
It was still all too much. The police came just a few minutes after everything was over. While the police slid down to meet Landon and Shyana at the bottom of the hill, Shyana cried over the pools of blood that were feeding the waves. She wouldn't stop screaming 'No! No! Don't leave me Zack! Don't leave me!' All while Landon held her close, tears streaming down his cheeks, with no sound. He was scared, and sad. He had lost his best buddy. Maybe some day's he would wish Zack wasn't there for him to compete against, so that he could have Shyana all to himself. But now that it had finally happened, he wished he was the one who had to go instead.  
  
Shyana and Landon had to watch the police as they took Zack and Janis's bodies away. Shyana didn't stop crying. Crying for Zack, he never deserved to die. She tried to believe that it wasn't true, even though she knew it was. She wanted Zack to be back at his home, reading his books and his poetry to himself. She couldn't watch it all, the blood on the sand being filtered away by the oncoming waters, the black body bags, the questioning police men, the pain. She couldn't stand the pain. Her knees weakened, and she fell on the sand. She could smell Zack's cologne still on the ground. She could remember all the times she had been with him. She could remember running on the beach, reading at the library, staying together on cold nights, watching movies and drinking hot cocoa in front of the fire.  
  
Shyana forced herself to come back from her memories. Her eyes hurt, and she felt so tired, and weak. Everything started to spin. Everything was turning a bright white. Then suddenly everything became dark, and she felt Landon trying to shake her. But everything faded away, and she blacked out.  
  
* *  
*  
  
Chapter 15: Sunset on the pier.  
  
The next time she woke up she was in a hospital room. There was a needle in her wrist, and a bag of clear liquid on a stand beside her. She tried to get up but she couldn't. Landon was sitting in a chair in front of her, fast asleep. But as soon as Shyana made the smallest noise, he was awake again.  
  
'Oh Shyana you had us all worried' He ran to her side at once.  
  
'What . . . happened?'  
  
'Oh you just blacked out . . . for about two day's'  
  
He gave her a small kiss on the head.  
  
'Try eating something. The doctor said we could take you home as soon as you woke up.'  
  
Landon fed her, helped her into the car, and drove her home. Her family was still asleep; it was about 6:25 in the morning. She ate all the food she could find. She hadn't been able to eat for the past two days she was out. Everything slowly came back to her. And she started crying again, right when she was taking the water pitcher from the fridge.  
  
Her knees started weakening again; Landon ran over to her and caught her from hitting the ground too hard. The orange water pitcher fell onto her white tiled floor and splashed all over. The water splashed onto her knees and in her eyes. Landon tried calming her down, but it wouldn't work. Through tears she told him that she would marry him. Yet she would do it later, after everything had passed. She was so mixed up right now. She couldn't handle both happiness and devastation at one time.  
  
It was hard for Shyana to go through Zack's death. It was even a harder death than Connor's was. The funeral was hard too. Shyana just couldn't stop crying, it hurt too much. She wouldn't eat or sleep anymore, Landon stayed with her the whole way of course. She had agreed to marry him, Zack was right; he was going to treat her well. Tricia came to Florida as soon as she heard and she comforted Shyana every night, telling her it was going to be okay. Shyana didn't believe it though. Zack's father came by to comfort Shyana also. That weekend Shyana went to Zack's house to clean out his room of all the stuff he had.  
  
She was cleaning out his dresser when she found a small note tied to a rose inside. The white ribbon had "Shyana" written on it in gold cursive letters, written to Shyana on the night Zack was killed.  
  
She read it aloud:  
  
"Dearest Shyana,  
I am so happy you agreed to marry me. I love you so much. We may go through hard times, and sometimes we will think to give up. But don't ever give up on the world Shyana; you have so much to look forward to. No matter what happens. Don't ever quit because you're never a failure until you fail to try. On our wedding day you know that line that says "Until death do we part"? Well they wrote that wrong. We will never part because you'll always be with me Shyana, always in my heart, and in my soul. I will love you forever.  
  
Love Forever,  
  
Zack"  
  
Shyana suddenly didn't cry. She knew she would have to go on. Instead she finished clearing out Zack's room and drove back home to the pier. She sat down and talked to the air. She was hoping maybe, that Zack was listening to her from heaven, listening to her every word.  
  
'Zack I will always love you. Landon will never be able to take your place no matter how much I love him. When I lost you, I realized that no matter how much I tried to love another person, be it Landon or Connor, no one will ever live up to you. Someday we'll be together again. Every night I'll sit on this pier and think of you, and remember what you taught me. You taught me that no matter how rough things might get, love will always overcome it because, like you, love never quits.'  
  
And Shyana threw the rose and her old locket into the water and walked away. Never to shed tears again from Zack's loss, but only to shed tears of joy. Because even though Zack's true spirit will be far away, his love for Shyana will always be in her heart, forevermore.  
  
Epilogue:  
  
Shyana returned to the pier every day. She was always smiling to herself about life. Landon stayed with her, and she became Mrs. Landon Matheson. She also became a marine biologist. Tricia moved away to do medicals in Africa for homeless children that needed food and care. Of course Landon passed away. From old age, he died. He had spent the rest of his life beside Shyana, as her husband and best friend.  
  
When Landon died Shyana was not devastated, he lived his life, and Shyana knew her day was to come soon. One day when she was older, about seventy nine a year or two after Landon died; she was walking along the beach, hugging herself. She was wearing a long silky red dress.  
  
She sat on the sand and looked at the ocean, letting the waves wash up against her feet. The next wave brought up a rose, with a small ribbon attached to it. It was a white ribbon that had the name "Shyana" written in golden cursive letters on it. Shyana was very surprised; she lay on the sand and closed her eyes. Her heart beat slowed and she could hear Zack's voice whispering 'Shyana . . . it's time.' And her young, nineteen year old spirit lifted from her aged body and danced with Zack's on the clouds.  
  
Leaving the old body of Shyana lying on the sand, with a small smile, being slowly washed away by the waves as the sun set, for the final time in Shyana's life. 


	2. Dangerous Secrets

Chapter 2- Dangerous Secrets  
  
Zack took his time to get home, he didn't want to go back but it was the only place that he had to live. It looked like any ordinary house but inside it was his personal hellhole. He took the ladder from the ground and placed it under his window. He had to be very quiet or else his father would catch him, and beat him up again. He lowly climbed the ladder and opened his window. His room was trashed, glass was scattered across the floor, but luckily there was no glass on his bed. He went inside and, with his shoes still on, he locked his door. It had 3 different locks on it so his father wouldn't be able to get inside while Zack was in there. Luckily his bed was right beside his window so if he needed to make a quick escape then he could just jump out onto the ladder and run. He closed his window and lay on his bed and thought of the pretty new girl he had met that afternoon. She had been nice enough to care for him, and had enough control not to ask about his scar when she saw it. Most people would want to talk about it. Unlike Zack. His mother had died about three years ago, from leukemia. And while she was undergoing treatment, Zack's father had started abusing him, blaming him for his mother's sickness. Zack cared for his father; he knew how sad he felt. They had both loved Zack's mother, she was the glue that helped them stay together, but she was gone now, and would never come back again. Somehow Zack's father believed that Zack was the cause of his mother's death. Earlier he had hit Zack with the largest and heaviest thing he could find, in this case, the frying pan. Anything his father could find he threw or hit Zack with it.  
  
A few weeks after his mother died Zack's father tried to kill him. He tried to stab him with a knife, but Zack jumped sideways before it could go all the way into his heart. He only had a millisecond to jump because his father was so large, fit, fast, and strong.  
  
His girlfriend had brought him to the hospital, lying for him about what happened, she had said he tripped at a spot where a piece of glass was hanging and it cut him. Afterwards she told him that she loved him but that she couldn't take it . . . she left him for another guy who had also helped him, his best friend Landon. Zack looked at his drawer, which was covered with torn paper. That had been his second-to-last book. His old best friends, Landon and Janis had given it to him, but they left him, their fear of his dad was too strong. His very last and most favorite book was under his pillow. "A walk to remember." His mother had given it to him right before she died, and even though Zack knew his father wouldn't dare destroy that book, he still hid it from him anyway, afraid that one day his dad would not care anymore.  
  
Zack fell asleep, thinking of how Shyana looked a lot like his mother. It was strange but it gave Zack a bit of comfort when he was around Shyana, it felt like he was given another chance to be with his mother, but in this case, a girl that was just around his age. It was strange, if he ever went out with her, wouldn't it be like going out with his own mother? It was very strange but it gave Zack good dreams anyways.  
  
Zack woke up to a large bang at his door. He widened his eyes and realized it was his father. A big chunk of the door came off. Zack had overslept. Whenever he overslept, the closer he was to death. Zack's father was using a hammer, and a big baseball bat lay on the floor beside his feet. Zack grabbed his book from under his pillow and quickly opened his window. He glanced at his dad who was ready to get into his room, grinning. Zack jumped out onto the ladder and slammed his window. He slid down and knocked the ladder away from his window so that his father would not be able to get down without running all the way downstairs. His father used the baseball bat to hit the window while Zack was still looking back. The spray of glass hit him. He was scratched on his face but he was still o.k. He was bleeding a little, but still ok. He ran down the street to the pier, hoping Shyana would be there. He later decided to read while he waited. It was the 23rd time he had read this book. He stopped for a moment and looked at his watch. It was 1:17 PM. He had had a close call with his father. That is why he always had to wake up extra early in the morning and go back to sleep in the library or on the pier afterwards. He thought his dad still had a chance to be good, a slim chance, but still a chance. Zack's friends weren't able to see it and they never liked being near his father.  
  
What if Shyana doesn't like being near him either? He thought  
  
Well it wouldn't really be a loss yet. He thought she probably already had a boyfriend. He didn't know much about her yet, but he would like to. He daydreamed on the pier about Shyana so much that he didn't even notice she was standing beside him.  
  
"Hey what's' up? I thought you were supposed to come her sunset only." She laughed a little.  
  
"Well, I thought it was a nice day to just spend some time on the pier reading." He said  
  
She smiled.  
  
He's cute, sensitive, and smart . . . he seems perfect so far. She thought  
  
She spotted the scratches on his face  
  
"Did you get scratched by a cat or something?" she asked.  
  
"Uh . . . Yeah." He thought she may be thinking that he gets hurt too much. That he could probably be bad luck or something.  
  
Shyana spotted the book beside him. "You like a walk to remember?"  
  
He nodded "Yeah . . . it's my favorite."  
  
"Mine too!"  
  
Ok now he must be perfect for me! I hope he doesn't have a girlfriend though. She thought  
  
They talked about the book for a while surprised at how much they had in common. After about three hours of A Walk to Remember. They walked down to the nearest subway to get a bite to eat. Talking about a walk to remember all the way there 


	3. Old friends, old memories

Chapter 3: Old friends, old memories  
  
"I'll order the cold cut trio please, a foot long cut in half with some provolone cheese . . ."  
  
Zack was ordering Shyana's food along with his, when Shyana spotted a group of kids her age staring at her and whispering to one another.  
  
". . . with jalapenos and some vinegar oil. Is that it Shy?"  
  
He decided to call her that. It was short, yet not the exact description of Shyana, even though she was sometimes hesitant.  
  
"Huh? Oh, yeah sure, that's great."  
  
Zack smiled and looked around to see what Shyana had been staring at. He almost dropped the food.  
  
It was his old gang, including his old best friend, with one other person he thought he would never see again. The one person that had softened his heart then broke it.  
  
"Hey Zack, do you know them?" Shyana asked.  
  
"From a while back . . . I didn't expect to see them, for a long time."  
  
Zack didn't want to see them, but he had no choice. He had to face them.  
  
"Look, they're coming over Zack, maybe you can introduce me to them."  
  
Shyana was ecstatic about meeting some of Zack's friends. She could tell Tricia all about it after she came out of her coma, if she ever did, Shyana was planning to let her come and spend some time of the summer in Florida with her.  
  
The group casually walked over. Zack was eyeing the one pretty blonde girl in the middle and the boy walking next to her.  
  
"Hey, what's up Zack? Long time man, a year?" said one of the boys.  
  
"Yeah oh um, this is my new . . . uh friend umm. . . Shyana, she just moved here." Zack didn't seem too happy about Shyana meeting his friends.  
  
"Zack . . ." the blonde girl walked up to him.  
  
"Janis . . . it's been such a long time." Zack looked in to her eyes. Shyana watched, her heart started to break, she hoped it wasn't what she thought it was and it wasn't who she thought it was.  
  
The group quieted down, everyone watching Zack and Janis.  
  
"Yeah. . . I've missed you so much, there hasn't been a minute since that blissful day that I haven't thought about you, and what . . . could have been." Tears streamed down Janis's cheeks and Zack held her close to him.  
  
"No Janis, don't cry . . . I'm here . . . I'm here now."  
  
Janis lifted her head and kissed Zack. Zack opened his eyes just in time to see Shyana run out of the building.  
  
* * *  
  
"He has a girlfriend you idiot! How could you not have seen it?! If he's such a perfect guy how could he not have been taken?" Shyana yelled at herself about it all the way until she reached her house.  
  
"Hi sweetie how was you're . . ." Shyana ran up to her room and cut her mother off with the slam of her door. . .  
  
"Ok then . . ." And her mother went back to cooking.  
  
Shyana lay on her bed cried. She knew she was being a real baby crying over some guy she only knew for three days. Yet she had been so relieved that she had found someone new after Connor that it felt so bad to be lost again. She opened her bedside drawer and took out a picture of Connor.  
  
"Why did you have to leave me? Can you see what I have to go through now? I thought we were supposed to be together forever!"  
  
She held the picture close, her tears falling to her bed. She cried until she was all cried out, wishing her pain would end.  
  
"Together forever . . ." as her voice faded and her eyes closed, she gazed out her window at the pier where two figures of Zack and Janis stood, hand in hand talking. And Shyana fell asleep, the car crash scene replaying in her mind, but not letting her awake. She was stuck inside the worse moment of her life until the sun set.  
  
* * *  
  
"Zack . . . It's been so long, and I can't believe your still here."  
  
Janis looked at Zack deeply.  
  
"I've missed you and having Landon instead wasn't the same. It was never the same after you were gone, Zack . . . never."  
  
Zack didn't know what to do, there was Shyana and then there was Janis. Who would he choose?  
  
"Janis, it has been long and . . . and things have changed."  
  
Zack's father hadn't changed but his love life had, he had to tell Janis about Shyana.  
  
"Your father has stopped hurting you? That's great news Zack!"  
  
Janis smiled. Sincerely happy that she had Zack back, and that everything would be alright, she had no idea he was talking about something else.  
  
"This is great! Now we can live happily!"  
  
Before Zack could say something Janis took him and kissed him, as the sun set.  
  
"I have to go now, I love you Zack. I'll see you later ok?"  
  
"But . . . but . . ."  
  
Janis walked away and Zack was left on the pier. He looked at Shyana's room window. It was dark, and Zack didn't feel like knocking at her door.  
  
"You only knew her for three days man. She won't care, or she'll get over it." Zack told himself. But he couldn't help but think that even if she might not care, he might care more. 


	4. Rain Drops

Chapter 4: Rain Drops  
  
Shyana woke late at night, from the rain drops on her window. She put on her coat and grabbed her umbrella; she needed to have a walk.  
  
She waked through the storm, the wind constantly reminding her that she was alone. She walked until she got to the bus stop. She had no where to go, and she had no money. She couldn't go anywhere. She sat there, as the bus came.  
  
"Come on lady are you getting on or not." The bus driver yelled.  
  
She shook her head, the rain drops mixing with her tears. She thought about what had happened. Zack had a girlfriend, and he didn't even care that Shyana was there when he kissed Janis. Shyana felt so alone, she felt as though the world around her was trying to torture her in anyway it could. Her umbrella, still open was blown away by the wind.  
  
"Ugh! What the hell is going on? Can't you see me God?! Do you see how much pain I'm suffering? Do you give me even a piece of sympathy? My world is coming to an end and nothing is giving me a sign of hope, at least you could!"  
  
She yelled to the sky. Her makeup was smearing, but she didn't care, she didn't care if anyone saw her. The rain strengthened, and she was being soaked. Her t-shirt was so wet that it made her body visible, sticking to her skin.  
  
She fell on her knees, and cupped her face in her hands.  
  
"It's all coming to an end. Can I just die here? Please just let me die here."  
  
Her memory came back to her. This is how Connor and Shyana met. It was a rainy night, and she had missed the bus because she had been chasing after her umbrella. Her clothes had been soaked, and Connor, as a stranger to her, came to help her. He shared his umbrella with her and walked her to the nearest restaurant, a Subway. After that they had been meeting each other, and one day had started to go steady. Four years later he had brought her to a fancy French restaurant; Fervoi' voe lai'e. He gave her the locket and a single rose that night. The rose was as red as her dress, and the golden locket matched it perfectly.  
  
They had left the restaurant, and it was raining as bad as it is now. Connor shared that same umbrella as he did on the day they met. They had no clue that everything was going to end in just a few minutes.  
  
"We didn't know . . . that we would be separated from then on." Shyana said. Lost in her thoughts; not aware that Zack's friend was walking towards her.  
  
They had been driving on the road, with the rain making it so hard to see. They were driving on the bridge and they saw headlights coming toward them. The car coming towards them was red. That was how close it got, so that Shyana was able to see its hood. The tires on our car screeched, and the red car turned. Connor lost control, the car went flying over the side of the bridge, plummeting to the dark waters below.  
  
She was on the shore afterwards, remembering swimming there. She didn't want to look at Connor . . . she knew at the time he was dead, but it hadn't sunk in yet. Then she blacked out. She awoke in a hospital bed. Her head was wrapped in a bandage, and it was throbbing, but she took no notice. The only thought on her mind was Connor.  
  
She had screamed at the doctors to tell her where he was and if he was ok. They just tried to get her to lie down again. But she jumped up and ran out of the room, slipping on her wet shoes. The dye from her dress was seeping down her legs like blood. She ran into each room, searching for Connor's. She finally found it. She ran in and looked at the doctor's faces, they too shook their heads. She looked at the heart monitor. Dead. Connor was really dead. She ran to his side, held his head close to hers. She whispered that she loved him over and over again, but he never said anything back, she knew he wouldn't, that he couldn't.  
  
"Shyana, is that you?" Zack's friend asked  
  
She nodded.  
  
"Come on, you have to get out of this rain, I'll bring you home ok? Come on, oh and my name is Landon."  
  
"Thank you Landon . . . Thank you." Shyana walked with him in the storm. Her body was shaking, not from the cold rain against her body, but from the pain in her heart. 


	5. A best friend's comfort

Chapter 5: A best friend's comfort  
  
Shyana went with Landon over to her house when the rain stopped. Her face felt swollen and her eyes still burned, her clothes were soaking wet, and her make up was smearing.  
  
"Why were you out there in the rain this late? I mean it's like 2:00 am now." Landon was trying to comfort her, still not knowing exactly why she was crying in the first place.  
  
"Its nothing . . . I just feel really sad. Everything in my life is going wrong." She didn't feel like talking about it, she was tired and the night was getting colder, so she was very vulnerable for a cold.  
  
"You don't have to tell me. You don't even know me so I doubt you would. But still, does this have anything to do about Zack kissing Janis? Because you ran straight out of the building as fast as a torpedo when Zack kissed her."  
  
Shyana could see Landon's eyes searching for a sign on her face. She didn't want to show that Zack was her weakness; she didn't want to show that she wasn't as strong as she promised herself she would be.  
  
"I really don't want to talk about it, and I'm really tired. I guess I just need to sleep on it for a while, but thank you for everything Landon."  
  
"No problem really, but I would like to know what was wrong. So can we meet up again, it doesn't have to be today, but I'd like to help you with whatever it is."  
  
"Sure Landon, no problem there neither. Also, I don't think it could be today so, maybe tomorrow or something. I wasn't planning on talking to any of Zack's friends so, well umm . . . I'm . . . uh, busy now so, maybe . . . maybe later."  
  
"Oh ok, I can call you up or you can call me. Because after you tell me what's wrong, if it's what I think it is we can help each other out ok?"  
  
"Okay."  
  
We swapped phone numbers and went out separate paths. I went in my house up to my room, trying to be as quiet as I could be. Even if I lost Zack, maybe I have a chance with Landon.  
  
'What am I thinking?' Shyana thought. 'No . . . I can't do that. I mean their friends, and well if there is any chance that Zack may like me, I still have a chance. And it wouldn't be right to go out with his friend anyways.'  
  
Shyana wrote down Landon's phone number as she remembered it, changed her clothes, and jumped into her bed. She covered her face with her pillow and breathed in the smell of her shampoo. She tried to take her mind off of everything else by focusing on that smell.  
  
Roses.  
  
Her shampoo smelled like roses. Even though it was supposed to smell like pine, it smelled like roses. That's what helped her fall asleep, feeling like she was lost into a garden of roses.  
  
And she slept a dreamless sleep.  
  
* * *  
  
Zack sat underneath the tree. He wasn't going to go home anymore. He was going to stay in the woods. He was so scared; he didn't feel there was even any chance of being safe anymore. His father was probably trashing up his room again. He sat there under the tree in the rain. He listened to the sounds around him, hearing nothing but the raindrops. So he fell asleep under the tree, getting soaking wet, with nothing but his backpack and book. Wondering what the future will bring him, life or death.  
  
* * *  
  
When Shyana woke up she went straight to her kitchen, for her being sad brought hunger. So she headed for the fridge when she noticed a small note and a letter on the tabletop. On the note she read:  
  
Shyana, your dad and I went to go get some food, the fridge is empty but I left some waffles for you. Don't forget to feed Muffin, she hasn't eaten yet. Oh and the letter is from Tricia, I hope she's ok. Love you! -Mom  
  
"Tricia!?" Shyana was so happy her best friend had gotten out of her coma, now she could visit her in Florida. She tore open the envelope and quickly pulled out the letter. She read:  
  
'Dear Shyana, What's up girl? I haven't heard from you in a long time. Well I probably wouldn't have been able to anyways, have been in a coma and all. Oh my gosh! I can't believe you already moved! Are there any cute boys there? My mom said I could visit in a few weeks, after all this stupid recovering junk, I mean I feel just fine! The doctors are so overprotective. Ok well I hope you're ready to have me come back into your life! We can go to Disney world! Ha! Well write back ok? I have to eat now, ewe, applesauce, and people, I am not a senior citizen! I am a perfectly fine (and beautiful) 18-year-old girl! Get a grip! Lylas girl! -Trish'  
  
"Yes! Tricia is coming! I have to get ready!"  
  
Shyana hurried to pull her clothes on while her waffle was toasting, she fed the dog and ate the waffle on her way to the post office. Her family didn't buy any stamps and envelopes yet, so she had to buy some new ones. And as Shyana wrote her letter to Tricia she thought that this way she wouldn't feel so alone with Tricia by her side.  
  
* * *  
  
While Shyana was at home sleeping, and Zack sitting under the tree, getting rest, but no sleep Landon was at his house writing in his journal.  
  
Tuesday morning, July 14, 2003  
  
'Yesterday I met this new girl who moved to Florida and had become Zack's friend. She's really pretty and I think she has a "thing" for Zack. Earlier she saw Zack and Janis kissing and she ran out of the building when she saw it. I saw her earlier this morning, she had been out all night in the cold rain crying about something, but she wouldn't tell me what. So I took her to her house and we gave each other our phone numbers. I hope to see her later on or to get a phone call from her. Oh and Janis got back with Zack, so I guess I'm free again. It's not too bad. Janis and I never really got along like how Zack and her did, she always talked about him and wondered how he was, she never actually thought about her current boyfriend, me, who is now her ex. Oh well, never dwell on the past right? -Landon'  
  
Landon finished writing in his journal and went outside to play with his dog, Rascal, a golden retriever. They played Frisbee for a while and once, Landon was so lost in thought that he forgot to throw the Frisbee and was knocked over by Rascal.  
  
He decided to call Shyana later on after he had some lunch. It was just 11:13 am and he thought that maybe Shyana needed some more sleep than just that. She had wasted a lot of energy crying outside, and probably didn't feel the need to be bothered.  
  
So Landon went on to talk to his mother, who was in her office doing her work. She was a work at home mother. The walls of her office were covered in all the football trophies Landon won during the school year. He was the teams lead player. She was wearing her lamb pajama pants and her work shirt for a top with a tie and speaking to her computer.  
  
"Now listen to me James the profit needs to go higher by twenty percent and no buts about it! Do you understand?"  
  
"Yes Mrs. Matheson, boss.' The man on the computer replied.  
  
"Ok good, now its time for my break I'll talk to you later James.' And Mrs. Matheson turned off the computer.  
  
She turned on her chair to face Landon and took a sip of her coffee.  
  
"Yes, dear? What do you need?" She placed her coffee back on its electric heater, and took her stress ball in hand and started squeezing it furiously.  
  
"Well, I don't know, just wanted to talk. I've been feeling like a need to go somewhere new all of a sudden."  
  
"Well here's twenty dollars, now make sure its something good ok? Maybe you can buy something for Janis, or me of course.' His mother emphasized when she mentioned herself, wanting Landon to always buy her something when she had enough money to buy a whole shop of Victoria's Secret.  
  
"Well Janis and I broke up, don't ask, ok? Thanks for the money, I'll be back later, but I am going to buy something for some don't worry."  
  
And with that Landon ran out of the room and grabbed his car keys and jacket, leaving his mother with her mouth half open, getting ready to question about Janis. So she closed her mouth with a snap and turned her computer back on, typing about something for a new sale of the diamond industry.  
  
Tbc! 


	6. Changes

Chapter 6: Changes  
  
Shyana was thinking about putting a no trespassing sign on the pier. Her family owned the property now and that included the pier so no one should be there anyways and anyhow, also she didn't want to see Zack ever again, after how he broke her heart.  
  
He knew she liked him! And he seemed to make her think he liked her too. But she didn't want to see him, she wished she had never met him. So she grabbed a piece of paper from her printer and wrote with a large permanent marker "No Trespassing!!!" and at the bottom, "Beware of Dog!" even though she knew muffin was way too small to chew or attack anyone, but at least it sounded dangerous.  
  
She received a phone call later on in the day; it was Landon asking if she wanted to go on a little trip while she was free. She said she would love to, so she left a note on the table saying she was going to be out for the rest of the evening.  
  
So Landon picked her up at around one and off they went in his little BMW convertible.  
  
"I plan to bring us to this cute little restaurant somewhere down Florida nearer to the waters. I love going there, the have the most marvelous Venetian foods and they have a beautiful view; it makes you feel like you're actually in Venice." Landon said to Shyana while they were on the road passing a bunch of signs that indicated what the speed limit was.  
  
"I love Venetian food! But how long will it take us to get there?" She looked out the side and watched as the car sped by the road lines, making them seem as if they were moving.  
  
'Not too long, I'm sure you'll love it there, it's a French name for the restaurant even though they mostly make the Venetian foods that I'm sure you'll love."  
  
They kept the conversation going while Shyana kept asking him questions about what it was like and how expensive the food would be and how he could afford it. Landon would just wave his hand and say, "My mother is the boss of a large diamond business and she makes great sales, my credit card is half forwarded to her bank and so are my checks so I don't have to worry."  
  
And Shyana was impressed about everything he had. The money, the charm and all the awards he said he had earned how he played the electric guitar and all the confidence he had also the knowledge of where the best places in Florida were.  
  
Maybe it wasn't too much of a loss from Zack; he wasn't too much to worry about, even though he did seem more sensitive than Landon.  
  
When they finally stopped driving it was at this dirty old parking lot that seemed to not have been redone for a long time. There were weeds growing out of the concrete and a lot of trash lying around. Landon locked up his car and pulled the hood back on.  
  
"Okay look, now I know it doesn't look that great right now but just wait."  
  
Before Landon had picked Shyana up, she had changed into a red spring skirt that she thought would be safe and comfortable, but now that Landon was leading her through the bushes that lined the parking lot. She started to think twice as some of these bushes had thorns on then and pointed leaves.  
  
'Here, these bushes are going to start to get worse, let me carry you."  
  
Before Shyana could object, Landon had picked her up. It seemed to him that she was very light, yet Shyana was turning almost as pink as her dress from the embarrassment of having to be carried to get somewhere she was perfectly capable of getting there herself.  
  
At last they reached the end of the bushes and Landon placed Shyana back on the ground. Shyana was shocked at what she was seeing. It was a small restaurant called 'Trattoria da Brace'. It had a small table with two chairs and a small vase with some flowers in it. Shyana's mouth had dropped open as she looked around some more. The restaurant seemed to glow golden in the sunlight. And beyond the little gate at the end of the concrete was the ocean, where sailboats were sailing and ducks were swimming. The restaurant was covered in flowered vines and little red flowers in the windows. It had little red and white striped curtains on the inside and out pat the ocean were little houses and beyond that a bunch of green. It looked so much like Italy.  
  
"It's strange isn't it, first were in Florida, at a French restaurant that looks like it's from Italy that cooks Venetian food. Ha! It's so nice though, what do you think?" Landon looked at Shyana, with her mouth still open.  
  
"Its beautiful, Landon! Where did you ever find a restaurant like this?"  
  
She was still looking around, obviously in awe at what she was seeing.  
  
"Actually, I work here."  
  
Shyana quickly turned to look at him. "No. You're kidding right?"  
  
"No, I'm not kidding at all. I do work here. It's a wonderful restaurant and the people here are friendly, you know, you can work here too if you like. You can be a waitress, would you like that?"  
  
Shyana nodded her head enthusiastically. She wanted to stay here everyday, but she still wondered how much he got paid.  
  
They had a wonderful dinner outside at the small table and Shyana insisted on talking about Landon. He impressed her so much. After that one of the workers at the restaurant started to play a beautiful song on his violin.  
  
"Would you care to dance?" Landon asked  
  
"I'd love to." Shyana replied  
  
And Landon and Shyana danced as a flock of geese flew overhead, and the waves gently rocked against the small wooden boat on the side of the concrete below the restaurant.  
  
* * *  
  
While Shyana had been away, Zack had made his way over to his house. He knocked and rang the doorbell over and over and waited very long until at around 7:00 p.m. Shyana's parent's came home. They told him that maybe she was out and he should go home, but he said he had something important to show her and waited until around nine for her to come home. She then finally did.  
  
He saw Landon's BMW pull up into her driveway so he walked up to it and saw Shyana inside laughing about something with Landon.  
  
"Hey Landon, what's up?"  
  
Shyana looked at him for only a second and made an angry face then turned away.  
  
"Oh Zack, I was just taking Shyana to dinner for a little while, don't worry, I helped her get a new job. Well I have to go okay?"  
  
And Landon quickly pulled and drove away without Zack saying anymore. Shyana was slowly walking towards her door, so Zack ran up to her.  
  
"Shyana, what is wrong with you?!"  
  
Shyana quickly turned around and almost knocked Zack over with her speed, she was definitely angry.  
  
"What's my problem? What's your problem?!" She started to turn around but Landon grabbed her by the arm. "Get off of me!"  
  
"Shyana, I just want you to be happy!"  
  
Shyana was almost to her door, she opened it and stepped inside. "If you want to make me happy then there is one simple thing that you can do for me."  
  
"I'll do anything."  
  
"Leave."  
  
And she shut the door in his face. He stood there alone for the next five minutes thinking about what had just happened. He didn't want to believe it. He really did like her and wanted to get to know her better. I'm coming back tomorrow then, he thought, whether she likes it or not.  
  
Author's note: oooh he got told!! hehe j/k please write reviews they help a lot, but you see if it's hard to figure out who is talking just tell me okay? bye bye! 


	7. Fish kisses

Chapter 7: Fish kisses  
  
Shyana started her new job one day later; she enjoyed working at such a beautiful place and appreciated the help that Landon was giving her. He was very careful with his words and actions and she started to like him a lot.  
  
One day she was sweeping the outside of the store when Landon rushed outside and asked her if she wanted to go for a little boat ride. She said yes, thinking it would be on a large boat, motorized or being rowed by another person, but she was wrong. He climbed over the little fence beside the restaurant and jumped over the side into the little wooden boat.  
  
"Come on!" he yelled.  
  
"Landon are you sure this is safe? I mean I've just been working here for a week and I don't want to get fired, plus the boat reeks of fish." She noticed that there was some stuff lying inside the boat there was a net inside and a small cooler.  
  
"We won't get in trouble, the boss wants me to catch some fish, and he says that you can help so you can learn how to do this when I'm promoted to being head frying man."  
  
Shyana gave a small smile and tied her brown hair up into a ponytail.  
  
"Will you catch me if I fall?" she asked.  
  
He ran his hand through his sun-streaked blonde hair and thought for a second. Well might as well give it a try man he thought to himself. "I'm only going to catch you if you're falling for me!"  
  
Shyana smiled and said, "Of course I am!"  
  
So she climbed on the fence and let herself fall. Landon caught her just in time and held her for a second. He wanted to kiss her so bad, and she did say she was falling for him, but instead he held himself back, he didn't want her to think of him as someone who wanted to make a real steady relationship fast.  
  
Shyana looked into his eyes; she wanted to be held by him forever. Now she was happy she knew Zack because if Shyana had never known Zack then she would have never met Landon. He twisted her ponytail with his fingers then turned away. "Ok I'm going to have to row us out there so you'd better get comfy, if it's possible." He smiled at her and she sat down, looking at the water, it looked murky and she was glad she had jumped into the boat and not made a mistake of falling into the water.  
  
She tried to feel comfortable but the wood on the boat seemed to creak at her every move. Landon untied the boat from the hook it was tied to and took the oars and paddled out into the sea. Once they were somewhat in the middle of it all and the water wasn't as murky, Landon started hooking the net to the side of the boat.  
  
"Want to do this part while I get the bait ready?" He stopped hooking the net and held it up to her.  
  
"Ok but, why do you need bait if you're using a net?"  
  
He turned around and grabbed something from the cooler.  
  
"Because why would the fish come up to the net in the first place if they didn't have anything to come up there for?"  
  
He opened the jar he was holding and Shyana realized it was full of chunks of fish meat.  
  
"I thought fish ate worms."  
  
He looked at her in a funny way and said, "You've never been fishing have you?"  
  
"Nope I have never been fishing before, my dad isn't the fishing type, and he's more of the house cleaning kind of guy. Mom makes the money and dad cleans the house, but works part time at the grocery shop."  
  
"Ok well, the bigger fish prefer the taste of meat, so the bigger the fish the better right?"  
  
She nodded her head and started hooking the net to the little hooks on the side of the boat.  
  
Landon threw the meat onto the little pouches in the net. 'So that's where it goes', Shyana thought.  
  
"And now we just wait for a while."  
  
"And you get paid for this?" Shyana asked.  
  
"Yeah, and your being paid too, isn't it neat?"  
  
He took out two sandwiches from the cooler. "This is also used as bait. Tuna fish sandwiches, fish love them, I hate them."  
  
So he threw pieces of the sandwich into the pouches with the meat.  
  
"So . . . my friend Tricia is coming over next week, do you think she could hang with us for a little while? She's only visiting for a little while and she just came out of a coma so what do you think?"  
  
"Sure she can come, but do you promise that once in a while we could still have a day alone? You know just you and me hanging?"  
  
Shyana seemed lost for a second. Does this mean he wants to be alone with me because he likes me or just because he thinks having Tricia over all the time would be annoying? She didn't want to disagree with Landon so she said okay. Landon turned his head from the water and walked over to Shyana's side of the boat and sat down next to her.  
  
'Okay don't think just do', Landon thought. So he pretended to snore and laid his head on Shyana's lap.  
  
She smiled at him and glanced at the net. Some fishes were starting to bite at the meat. She looked back down at Landon, who had closed his eyes and started to make snoring sounds.  
  
She started to laugh and he opened his eyes.  
  
He didn't say a word or make a face; he lifted himself up on his elbows and leaned in to kiss her. Shyana thought she would never feel this happy again. Neither of them stopped and suddenly Shyana fell off her seat and onto the floor of the boat, but neither of them pulled away until they heard the sound of at least a hundred fish flapping in the water. That's when they looked up. Landon started laughing.  
  
"Today must be my lucky day." Then he went back to kissing Shyana.  
  
Once they had stopped and went back to the restaurant, then given the fish to their boss; who was very pleased indeed, they were a mess.  
  
Their boss, Mr.Perrar, let them off an hour early. Shyana was very glad because she didn't want her family to see her like this messy. So she rode home with Landon before her parents were able to go home.  
  
When she reached her house and gotten out of the car, Landon walked her to her door and gave her a little present.  
  
"I bought this for you the other day, I hope you like it."  
  
He took out a small bag from his pocket and emptied it into his hand. It was a small ID bracelet.  
  
"I love it!"  
  
Shyana put it on and gave Landon one more long kiss. Then she went inside and leaned against the door. What a wondrous day she thought. Then she rushed upstairs to her room to take a long shower, because she still smelled like fish.  
  
* * *  
  
Zack had seen it all, he had been hiding behind a tree and watched Shyana kiss Landon. He felt so sad, but he couldn't let that stop him from liking Shyana. Janis had been angry at him earlier from smelling like moss and not paying attention to her and argued about him always talking about Shyana and how nice she was she said he was acting really fishy. He had to go home later on and his father threw a chair at him, so he had to stay with Janis in her room for a while. Her room was a trailer since she had so many siblings and wanted some room of her own, so Zack planned to stay there for a while. He had picked up his clothes from his house. Janis wanted him to be in love with her, but he wanted Shyana. And he wouldn't settle for anything less.  
To be continued! 


	8. Just Visiting

Chapter 8- Just visiting  
  
Shyana could barely contain her excitement. She and Landon had driven to the airport to pick up Tricia and her plane was to be landing soon. Shyana was screeching with happiness when she saw Tricia walk out of the corridor. Tricia looked around and looked as if she couldn't see Shyana.  
  
"Trish! Over here!" Tricia turned around and saw her.  
  
"Dang girl, you look so different! Did you lose a couple, what, twenty thirty pounds?"  
  
"Very funny Trish, this is my boyfriend, Landon. Landon, this is my best friend Tricia Castalia."  
  
"Actually my real name is Olivine but I prefer Tricia."  
  
"It's my pleasure to meet you."  
  
Landon was kind of jealous that Shyana was so excited about spending time with Tricia that she almost forgot about Landon. But since he wanted her to be happy he just let it go. He never did understand why when girls were usually together, they forget about the boy's that came with them.  
  
Then Shyana turned to him. She looked at him into his eyes deeply and took his collar and pulled him close to her as she leaned over.  
  
"Would you . . ."  
  
"Would I what?"  
  
'Would you like some . . . Ice cream?!'  
  
She started laughing and Landon just smiled, no matter how much Landon insisted to pay for the ice cream for them, Shyana still paid. She bought one small ice cream for Tricia and an extra large for Landon.  
  
'"Where's yours?"  
  
"I wanted to share with you."  
  
So they ate their ice cream as they talked and talked about what had happened over the time that they haven't seen each other, but Shyana didn't mention Zack, she wanted to try and forget all about him. Yet all of a sudden Tricia asked. Shyana had told her what had happened in one of her previous letters.  
  
"So does he still hang with you guys?"  
  
Shyana shook her head no.  
  
"He has other things to do."  
  
So they sat in silence while they drove back to the house. When they got there Tricia said that Landon and Shyana could go ahead and go have dinner somewhere while she got her rest, she was supposed to have a two hour nap every day at that time to help her head.  
  
So while Shyana and Landon had a fun time out at the trattoria da brace' Tricia was awakened by a loud knock on the door. Shyana's mother was off at work and her father out on his military duties. So she had to wake up and go to the door. There stood a thin, but muscular, young boy, about her age, 18 or 19. He looked at her and said:  
  
"Is Shyana home?"  
  
Tricia looked at him and realized that he must be Zack.  
  
"I'm sorry she's uh . . . she's out somewhere what do you need?"  
  
"I wanted to talk."  
  
"You can talk to me, my name is Tricia, and you must be Zack."  
  
"Yea."  
  
So Zack told Tricia all about his feelings for Shyana and what he wanted to tell her. He wanted to tell her that he needed help. That his father was abusive, and his girlfriend (Janis) wasn't a help because she wouldn't listen to him. Tricia listened, and showed emotions like In the movies. Tricia would give gasps, sighs, and expressions on her face. Tricia told Zack that she would tell Shyana all about it, and that she would try to help anyway that she could. Zack told her he doubted anyone could do anything about it. Only Shyana could. Somehow Zack knew that her love and her beauty of his mother could help his father be more than just the evil person he was.  
  
"I know your just visiting and I'm sorry to have to get you in the middle of this all but well . . . I just need some one to tell." Zack was kind of embarrassed that he had told a total stranger all about his private life. But Tricia didn't mind at all. She promised to tell Shyana everything. Zack gave her Janis's cell phone number, which Janis had let Zack have. Zack went back to Janis's trailer and went to sleep, hoping that Shyana would forgive him.  
  
When Shyana came home, Tricia was waiting outside with a solemn expression on her face.  
  
"We need to talk," she said, as she pulled Shyana in the house and closed the door. 


	9. It can be better

Chapter 9: It can be better  
  
"Look, Zack was here a little while ago." Tricia told Shyana.  
  
Shyana looked up from her ID bracelet.  
  
"Should I really care?" He didn't mean anything to her anymore. They were no longer friends, just acquaintances.  
  
"Sit down Shyana this is very important. He's being hurt badly. He was bruised and scratched and well, just hurt when he came over."  
  
Shyana sat down. She thought hem might have gotten into trouble and gotten beaten up again or something. She didn't have any business in his business anyways. Tricia took hold of hr by her shoulders and shook her.  
  
"He's being abused by his father and it gets worse every time he goes near that house. Zack says that maybe you can help. You look a lot like his mother, he told me so."  
  
Shyana finally looked into her eyes.  
  
"Really Trish, How would that ever help? I mean sure I may look like his mother, but just because I look like someone in his house doesn't mean that his family is going to take favor in me."  
  
"Shyana Belle McKessa, listen to me. His mother died of cancer, his father blames Zack. This is what is triggering the anger in him. And he takes it out on what he thinks is the cause, namely Zack. And Zack cares for his father a lot but, well, he's also afraid of him. He said he never meant to hurt you, and he still likes you a lot. He wants you to help him. He wants to meet you at the pier tomorrow. He wants to invite you to dinner, yet he wants me to come for 'protection'."  
  
Shyana had to smile at this. Tricia may have been perky and fashionable, like her but she was not the fighter type. She even said herself that she couldn't kill a dead fly. So Shyana agreed. Sure she was kind of scared about the part that Zack actually thought of 'protection' needing to be there. Maybe he was joking. His father wouldn't hurt a stranger, or would he? Shyana knew nothing of Zack's father; she hadn't even known that his mother died.  
  
The next day came. Landon called asking if Shyana would like to go out to the zoo with Trish to come and feed the dolphins. His friend worked there so that they could come over anytime they wanted to. But Shyana had also promised to meet Zack at the pier and she always kept her promises.  
  
It was five thirty when Shyana saw him. She had dressed nicely so she looked respectful. Tricia was a little suspicious so she brought some pepper spray. She also brought some for Shyana.  
  
"I hoped you would be here." Zack smiled a bit. There was a slight quiver in Zack's voice, as if he were scared or something.  
  
Shyana looked at Tricia. She nodded and they followed Zack as he walked down the street.  
  
When they got to the house it looked very ordinary, as if nothing bad could have been happening inside. But there was a ladder that had been knocked down near a broken window on the left side of the cream house. The window sides were a reddish color and the curtains were white, it was a beautiful house actually. Yet the front lawn was unkempt and the rose bushes were overgrowing onto the front steps of the house.  
  
"Hey Zack."' Shyana asked  
  
He looked at her questioningly  
  
"Is this going to be one of those long-term sorts of things?" Zack looked at her then at the house.  
  
"It probably will be."  
  
Then he walked up to the house and looked at the doorbell. It was busted, apparently punched to the end of its function. So Zack took the gold painted knocker on the front of the red door and knocked three loud times.  
  
A grandfather clock from inside ringed that it was six o' clock already. The doorknob turned and the door opened, there stood Zack's father, the one who caused pain for Zack, and the one who forced Zack to go and live elsewhere, Mr. Anderson himself. 


	10. First Bloodshed

Chapter 10: First Bloodshed  
  
Shyana was surprised. From what she had thought of an abusing father to be Mr. Anderson definitely didn't fit the part. He had a black suit and tie and his hair was combed back neatly. Not bald, no tattoo's or anything that showed there could be something wrong with him or his mind. When Mr. Anderson had first looked at Shyana he smiled a little and his eyes sparkled, then he turned to Zack and he suddenly lost his happiness.  
  
"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be somewhere else Zack? Somewhere else hurting people?"  
  
Zack was the one who looked hurt when his father said this, and Shyana felt pretty sorry for him so she cut in.  
  
"Oh Mr. Anderson, my name is Shyana McKessa and this is my friend Tricia Castalia. We were here to cook some dinner for you. Zack was wondering if we wanted to go out and eat but we said we could just cook for you and him."  
  
Mr. Anderson turned towards Zack, who had looked pretty surprised.  
  
"Okay, come on in. I can help make it with you, I'm very good at cooking and you can just call me Thomas."  
  
The three of them walked into the house. It was fairly clean except for the cobwebs and dusts everywhere. It seemed as if the house hadn't had a good dusting in a while.  
  
"Did Zack tell you he was having trouble here?"  
  
Before Shyana could answer Mr. Anderson, or Thomas, Zack told him he had told Shyana everything about what his father did and why. He told him it was because she might be able to help them. Zack's father of course was not pleased. They had an argument for a little while then Tricia sprayed a little bit of pepper spray in the air which got both of their attentions.  
  
"Both of you stop it," she said. "You're acting like five-year-olds. We should be talking about this more calm and civilized than you are. Stop bickering so Shyana and I can cook the food while you two just tell us how you feel about each other."  
  
It took a while, but while Shyana and Tricia were making the spaghetti and chicken Alfredo, Thomas and Zack talked over everything that was going on in their hearts. There was much Drama and sometimes even crying. It was a funny scene without the subject. Two girls cooking chicken pasta while two strong men were sitting at the dinner table weeping. They ate while they talked and Zack went to Janis's house for the night afterwards. Shyana and Tricia would have to come back again soon to help with more of the arguments, but they were getting somewhere.  
  
"Did you notice Thomas was acting strange around you. Like he was afraid to hurt you or something? I don't know he looked like you were going to die right in front of him."  
  
They were sleeping in Shyana's room, both talking about what had been happening.  
  
"Well he probably misses his wife, and since I must look like her I wouldn't blame him. If I ever met another person who looked like Connor I wouldn't want to let him get hurt in any way neither, I would probably want to make the best impression ever also so he may not be as nice as he was acting."  
  
Shyana felt bad at what she said after that. Her heart still hadn't healed from Connor. She missed him so much. But she had to concentrate on what was going on in the present. She couldn't allow herself to dwell on her past.  
  
* * *  
  
Earlier that day Landon had been with his friend at the Zoo feeding the dolphins.  
  
"Chris do you think Shyana and I make a good couple, I mean you know . . . is our relationship questionable?" Landon by then smelled a lot like fish.  
  
Chris had been one of those people at subway when Landon had first met Shyana.  
  
"Well man, if I'm going to be honest . . . then yea I'd say your relationship is very questionable indeed. My ex-girlfriend and I had a tough relationship too but well, I asked her to marry me the other night and I found she had another dude too, and she said she loved him more. The dude and I had met on a train earlier; both of us were going to propose to someone that night, we never knew it was going to be the same girl."  
  
Landon looked questioningly at Chris for him to say more.  
  
"I think he had a car crash after that. I lose the girl but hey, life goes on."  
  
Chris looked a bit teary by then, his blackish hair falling before his eyes as he cleaned the shallow waters of the dolphin tank. Landon was kind of speechless then. If Chris could stand that then Landon could surely stand for Zack and Shyana, they never really knew each other that well anyways.  
  
They swam with the dolphins and fed them. Landon drove home earlier to check on his dog, Rascal. Still he could not get it out of his head that maybe Shyana would go back to Zack, probably get to know him better, and fall for him instead. As Landon was pondering his relationship his cell phone was ringing non-stop, about an emergency. It was a call from Zack.  
  
* * *  
  
Shyana's phone had been ringing also; it was from Zack's cell phone. When she picked it up though, it was Janis.  
  
"Shyana please come here quick!!! Zack's father just busted into my trailer while I wasn't home! There was a not that was on my bed with a knife through it. Zack's dad is holding him hostage! Come quick!"  
  
"I'll be there in a few minutes."  
  
Shyana hung up and grabbed her jacket.  
  
"Trish come on, wake up!"  
  
Tricia gave a grunt then Shyana shook hr by the shoulders.  
  
"Zack's in trouble we have to help him."  
  
So Tricia woke up, her hair was messy, not having time to fix it, they drove all the way to Janis's trailer, where Zack had said he was staying about two miles down.  
  
Janis was standing outside of her trailer when Shyana and Tricia pulled up.  
  
"Okay what happened?"  
  
Shyana then took a look at the trailer, it had been beaten in many places and it looked as if it had been hit with a bat. In some places there were gun holes.  
  
"Get in my car!" Shyana yelled to the two.  
  
She drove over seventy miles per hour and ran a red light. She didn't care. One of her friends were in trouble of being hurt, even killed.  
  
Once they got there they heard gunshots. They all thought they might be too late. Janis thought that the person she loved most would be killed. Shyana thought a friend would be killed, and Tricia thought that the boy her friend was probably destined to be with was killed. Tricia honestly didn't really like Landon that much.  
  
All three of them ran to the back o the house where they saw Zack lying on the ground holding his arm, which was bleeding, and his father was standing right above him, with his gun aimed right at Zack's heart.  
To be continued  
**Credits to my good friend Olivia (LyLacLuva). I sort of took the part about two guys proposing to the same girl and meeting on the train part from her fic, Somewhere Out There. 


	11. Having Faith

Chapter 11: Having Faith  
  
Mr. Anderson, or Thomas's hair was messed up and his shirt was torn. His face was red and he had blood splattered all over his white shirt. His arm was bleeding also. It looked as though Zack had cut him with a knife.  
  
"Stop it!" Shyana yelled at Mr. Anderson. He turned and looked at her. Then all of a sudden his face softened and he dropped the gun. Then he looked back at Zack and a wave of sympathy overcame him.  
  
"Oh my, are you . . . okay?" He reached for Zack but Zack just scooted back and yelled for his father to stay away from him. The police had just arrived. They had received the phone call from Janice also. Tricia and Shyana ran to Zack to try and help him when Janis ran to the spot where Mr. Anderson was standing.  
  
"I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry." Mr. Anderson kept saying over and over again as the police locked him into the car.  
  
Janis was standing there, grinning like a lunatic. Then she walked over to Zack.  
  
"Are you okay honey?" she had stuffed something into her purse then she watched as the medics strapped Zack to a stretcher then packed him into the ambulance. All three girls rode in the ambulance also, with Janis grinning all the way to the hospital.  
  
* * *  
  
Landon had just gotten home and was having a small snack when his cell phone started ringing again. It was Shyana.  
  
"Landon, can you come to the hospital, as quickly as you can? Zack's been hurt badly."  
  
Landon quickly finished his snack and jumped in his car. He drove to the hospital very fast. But there was traffic because of a car crash. So Landon couldn't get there as fast as he had hoped. It took him about three hours to get there.  
  
While Landon was struggling through the traffic, Shyana was playing over history. She sat beside Zack in the hospital room. He looked up at her as she sang to him a sweet song that she had heard one day.  
  
"Love, I long for you with all of my heart. I wish for you to come and stay and I'll sing to you this song, if you'll just stay with me for one last day."  
  
As Shyana sang the last verse Tricia had just remembered where the song had come from. It was from a really old singer that Shyana had told her about. The sad thing was that was the exact song that was playing in the elevator when Tricia was going to Shyana's hospital room after the car crash.  
  
Janis couldn't stand it. As she sat in a chair on the other side of the hospital bed that Zack was in, and as she watched Shyana stroke his head gently and sing to him, she couldn't stand how obvious it was. That Zack really did love her; he was dumb-love-struck. She sat there, without Zack or Shyana noticing her existence. Only the other girl would glance at her every five minutes.  
  
But Janis had an idea. Before the police had come to search for the weapon that was used to harm Zack, Janis picked it up. Later on she planned to use it on Shyana if Zack didn't stop falling in love with her. If Janis couldn't be with Zack . . . no one could.  
  
Landon finally got out of the traffic by taking a back road. It was twice as long but at least no one else was on the road. He drove over the speed limit and was on the brink of losing control but he wanted to make sure Shyana wasn't harmed at all and also that his best friend, Zack, would be okay.  
  
He ran into the hospital, ignoring the commands from the head nurse screaming at him to stop. He ran to the elevator, but the door closed right in his face. He punched the button, hoping it would come down again, but all it did was bust the surrounding metal to the button of the elevator.  
  
So he ran up the stairs, and looked inside each room. Then he heard singing. It was coming from a room down the corridor, so he turned left and ran into the third room on his right. Shyana, surprised, had stopped singing. Zack looked over at the door, squinting from the pain.  
  
Landon ran to Shyana and gave her a big hug. Zack turned on his side so he wouldn't have to see it. Janis was standing now. She had opened her arms also thinking that Landon had come for her. But he kept hugging Shyana and wouldn't let go, no matter how long Janis stood there. Her arms were still open but her expression had changed, instead of that pretty innocent blonde girl, she had become somewhat of a jealous monster.  
  
She sat back down, pouting, and scheming of how to kill Shyana. She had stolen both her men's hearts without even knowing it.  
  
'Soon enough,' Janis thought 'be patient, soon enough . . . she'll be dead.' 


	12. Loving the other

Characters: Shyana McKessa Zack Anderson Landon Matheson Olivine (Tricia) Castalia Janis Arapaho Connor Branston  
  
Chapter 1: Leaving it behind  
  
The tires screeched and the red corvette heading toward us suddenly swerved. Connor tried to turn the wheel and take back his control, yet he couldn't and the car went spinning. Our car crashed into the wall of the bridge and was on the brink of falling over. I held Connor's hand, not knowing if we were going to survive and be together later someday; somehow I knew . . . it was soon to end.  
  
The car gave one last sound of giving up and fell off the side of the dark bridge, spinning over and over until we hit the water. The black and greenish water suddenly surrounded me. It was so dark and I was so scared. The front windshield broke into a thousand shattered pieces. The water was dark and it was around 11:30 pm, late that no one would be on this same bridge, but the other car to see and help us. It was a blur but I unstrapped both Connor's seatbelt and mine. With all the energy I had I swam to the shore of the large lake. I didn't want to look at Connor because I knew . . . I knew it. He was dead.  
  
'No!' I sat up and stared around me. I had been sweating from my dream and my own scream had wakened me up. My room was empty now except for a small white lamp, my mattress, and a blanket. Everything else was gone. I looked at my wrist watch. 8:30 a.m. . . . We would be leaving soon, maybe in about two hours or an hour and a half.  
  
My name is Shyana McKessa, an eighteen year old girl with a golden brown shade of wavy hair and dark brown eyes. I've lived in Washington for all my life and had been going steady with my old boyfriend, Connor Branston, for four years until the car accident. It's been hard for me since then, with the memory running through my head over and over again, the fall, Connor's pale face, and him on the shore. No breath, no pulse . . . It just made my life seem so much lonelier. I stopped my internship with a friend of my mother's. Doctor Carol, and started giving up on all my dreams. I missed Connor so dearly, and thought if his life couldn't go on; I had no reason for mine to go on either. Connor had hit his head on the wheel while I was holding his hand, and died instantly. His skin cold and clammy while he laid on the shore . . . He felt no pain when he died; I was the only one who felt the pain.  
  
It happened two months ago . . . it broke my heart to think about him being gone, and thinking about how I have to leave my home all behind, how I have to leave everything behind and go across the whole country to get to a new place.  
  
We were moving to Florida. I didn't want to leave Washington. My life belongs here, I belong here, and it's too special to just let go, with all the friends I've made, including my best friend in the whole entire world, Olivine Tricia Castalia, the girl I've known since I was four. We've been together since the diaper age and were both eighteen now and living on with our lives.and the things I've done and learned here, all the special memories I don't want to leave. But my mother's new job is going to be much better . . . and it's too late, she already accepted it. I hadn't been part of the plan though, because both my parents knew I would start a huge fight and say no without thinking the whole plan through. So they made the decisions themselves and did not tell me until it was time for us to start sending all of our stuff to the other house.  
  
Of course I made a huge fit of it. I was slamming doors all the time, turning up my radio as loud as possible just to tune out the rest of the world, and I would scream and yell. I know this is too immature for an 18 year old about to go off to college but still, everything was just so hard.  
  
I put on a pair of jeans and my white t-shirt and went downstairs in my kitchen to walk my small white and fluffy dog, Muffin. She scratched at the old wooden door at the front of the house pleading for me to let her out. I hooked her pink leash to her collar and placed my hand on the doorknob, with all the bronze paint chipping off it kind of looked like an old wall. Giving out a sigh I leaned on the door, breathing in the old lemon and pine scent from all the cleaners we had used to try and buff up that old door. This was the one door with the new hinges but old frame, with old wood and scratch marks, pink and purple nail polish marks, and nail polish remover stains up and down it, the one door that would have to be closed behind me in a few hours, closing away everything else in that old rickety house.  
  
I walked outside and breathed in the fresh air. It was a cool and crisp day. The breeze blew through my thick brown, golden hair, singing its song of serenity in my ear, as I walked along the sidewalk, waiting for my dog to finish her business.  
  
'Come on muffin . . . lets go.' I reached to my neck itching a bit, my hand instantly wrapped around the small necklace that hung there. Connor had given me a small, heart-shaped locket before he died. It was supposed to be for our four year anniversary. A picture was inside, a picture of him; I treasured both picture and locket very much. Even though I knew both were materialistic and probably wouldn't last, I knew someday I would lose them, and if I did I couldn't let myself be sad about it. Because I was supposed to know it wasn't going to last.  
  
It was all I had left of him other than my memories. When I got back into the house, everyone was awake and dressed; they had woken up as soon as I had left. My father, a medium sized man in his forties was sitting on the floor with his dark green sweat pants and gray sweatshirt, trying to tie his shoes. His curly blonde hair parted a bit on the side to cover up a bit of his bald spot. He had a waffle in his mouth, with syrup slowly sliding from one edge to the other edge of the waffle while my father rocked back and forth struggling to make his shoes fit.  
  
'I think they were lying when they said "if the shoe fits wear it" because the shoe did fit and I should be wearing it by now!'  
  
My mother, a woman of her own forties with dark brown hair and blue eyes slowly came down the stairs. She was more appropriately dressed in her dark blue jeans and shirt that said "Noah's rejects" with strangely shaped and colored animals drawn all over it. I had made that shirt in the 7th grade when I had been taking a special art class. It was six years back and I was surprised that she could find and still fit it.  
  
'I couldn't find any other shirt but this! Dear. those are my shoes.'  
  
My dad looked up and gave a syrupy grin. He tried to mumble out a few words but only succeeded in spilling some syrup on the wooden floor. He took off the shoes and rolled them to my mom while he chewed more on his waffle and went back to the box of shoes that was sitting beside him.  
  
Once my father had finally succeeded in finding his old brown leather shoes and packed the box of other shoes in the rental van, shut and locked the door, he called us out to leave.  
  
The car and u-haul were all packed and I would drive my small light green beetle with my mom and dog, while my dad would drive his car connected to the tiny u-haul with our luggage in it. My mother's car was already sold and my father's was going to be my uncle's soon and mine was going to be my cousin's. We only had small cars so nothing could fit into them, so we had to rent the u-haul. Our other stuff was already at our new house, all but some of our clothes and dog.  
  
'Take one last look at this old house you guys! The house we had lived in for the past twenty years!' my dad bellowed to us in the car behind him. 'Were off to a new start again!' and my mother agreed, smiling but did not bother to look back at the house, she was glad we were leaving, very much unlike me.  
  
We arrived at the airport where our relatives were waiting for us, giving us hugs and kisses of goodbye. My friends were either busy or at the hospital, where my best friend, Tricia, was in fact, because she had a skiing incident and was lost in a coma. We boarded the plane, and I stared out the window the whole way through. Thinking about everything I was leaving behind, and silently crying both outside and inside. My dog looked quite airsick after the whole plane ride but was fine after we got out onto the road. We had some food at one of the indoor restaurants in the airport. I didn't like the food on the plane; it tasted so strange to me, so we just got some pizza. We finished our lunch and went outside to catch a cab.  
  
My mother and father took one taxi while I took another with muffin. It took about two hours to get to the new house, leaving my dog sick again. The house was near the beach, and a small pier, not a very popular beach because it was not that large. There was a small slope from the road in front of the house, a few feet of sand and the pier, then the ocean. The house was white, with a green painted door. All new just built about a month ago. I shuddered at the sight. It was something so different from my comfortable life.  
  
I promised myself I would go to the pier later, maybe at sunset. I had no school anyways; it was just the beginning of summer vacation, and in Florida, very hot. My mother insisted I go around town after we unpacked some of our stuff, and I left some of my stuff in boxes. These were the things I was going to bring with me to college in the fall. So I unpacked the few clothes that weren't in boxes and put them away in the small dresser that had been taken out for me. Later on I walked to the library, which was only a couple of blocks away. I sat alone in the library with books surrounding me, reading my own favorite book, "A walk to remember."  
  
After an hour or so I heard a cry and I looked around hoping to see someone. Another sob came from behind one of the book shelves. I looked behind it and found a boy, maybe around the age of nineteen, crying. It's very unusual to see a boy of his age crying, but he had a very large bruise on his ribs and he was carefully touching it, for its tenderness.  
  
'Oh my goodness, are you okay?' I asked  
  
He nearly jumped off his knees but fell back down from being hit with another jolt of pain.  
  
He was squinting while he talked, I guessed it must have hurt a lot, it was as big as a frying pan, and quite the shape of it too.  
  
'I . . . no . . . I got in . . . a . . . fight.' He said.  
  
He looked up at me and I just realized how handsome he was, he had gray- blue eyes and dark brown hair. . .  
  
'I'll take care of it . . . come on. Ill take you to my house.' I took his hand and he slowly stood up.  
  
What the heck am I doing?  
  
We slowly walked to her house where I grabbed a first aid kit and some ice.  
  
'Now please lift up your shirt, I can't help you if you don't.' I said. 'I've been studying to be a doctor someday, so I know what to do.'  
  
He lifted up his shirt and Shyana gave a small gasp. There was a large diagonal scar that crossed over his chest, starting darker at the spot where he heart was. She didn't ask him about it, she just bandaged his ribs and told him to keep the ice on it. It was already sunset and they went to sit down on the pier.  
  
'So what is your name?' he asked.  
  
'Its Shyana McKessa, shya or shy for short . . . what's yours?'  
  
'It's Zack Anderson. Are you new here? I come to this pier everyday and I've never seen you before.' he turned and stared out towards the horizon.  
  
'Yea, I just came today. It's been very hard.'  
  
'It's the same here.' He said, and gently a tear rolled down his eye, she did not know if it was from his ribs, or something else.  
  
They talked about the day, and why they were in Florida. Zack was there, because his mother had wanted to be somewhere where she could stroll along the beach. Shyana of course was there because her mother had gotten a new job.  
  
He was so handsome. In the back of my head I didn't want to admit it because I thought that any idea of getting over Connor as indeed preposterous but I thought that maybe Zack and her could become friends, and maybe someday even more, and I hoped, that he thought so too. Even though I had just met him, he seemed to be sensitive. But then, I though, some boys will change after you see them on the first day. Yeah right, I thought again, probably just for first impressions. Yet what if it's not?  
  
We sat through the rest of sunset until night, when I had to go. Zack just kept looking into my eyes. but he turned away and promised to meet tomorrow at the same time. I went home... secretly thinking about him.  
  
Chapter 2- Dangerous Secrets  
  
Zack took his time to get home, he didn't want to go back but it was the only place that he had to live. It looked like any ordinary house but inside it was his personal hellhole. He took the ladder from the ground and placed it under his window. He had to be very quiet or else his father would catch him, and beat him up again. He lowly climbed the ladder and opened his window. His room was trashed, glass was scattered across the floor, but luckily there was no glass on his bed.  
  
He went inside and, with his shoes still on, he locked his door. It had 3 different locks on it so his father wouldn't be able to get inside while Zack was in there. Luckily his bed was right beside his window so if he needed to make a quick escape then he could just jump out onto the ladder and run. He closed his window and lay on his bed and thought of the pretty new girl he had met that afternoon.  
She had been nice enough to care for him, and had enough control not to ask about his scar when she saw it. Most people would want to talk about it. Unlike Zack, his mother had died about three years ago, from leukemia. And while she was undergoing treatment, Zack's father had started abusing him, blaming him for his mother's sickness.  
  
Zack cared for his father; he knew how sad he felt. They had both loved Zack's mother, she was the glue that helped them stay together, but she was gone now, and would never come back again. Somehow Zack's father believed that Zack was the cause of his mother's death. Earlier he had hit zack with the largest and heaviest thing he could find, in this case, the frying pan. Anything his father could find, he threw or hit Zack with it.  
  
A few weeks after his mother died Zack's father tried to kill him. He tried to stab him with a knife, but zack jumped sideways before it could go all the way into his heart. He only had a mille-second to jump because his father was so large, fit, fast, and strong.  
  
His girlfriend, Janis Arapaho had brought him to the hospital, lying for him about what happened, she had said he tripped at a spot where a piece of glass was hanging and it cut him. Afterwards she told him that she loved him but that she couldn't take it . . . she left him for another guy who had also helped him, his best friend Landon Matheson. Zack looked at his drawer which was covered with torn paper.  
  
That had been his second-to-last book. His old best friends, Landon and Janis had given it to him, but they left him, their fear of his dad was too strong. His very last and most favorite book was under his pillow. "A walk to remember." His mother had given it to him right before she died, and even though Zack knew his father wouldn't dare destroy that book, he still hid it from him anyway, afraid that one day his dad would not care anymore.  
  
Zack fell asleep, thinking of how Shyana looked a lot like his mother. It was strange but it gave Zack a bit of comfort when he was around Shyana, it felt like he was given another chance to be with his mother, but in this case, a girl that was just around his age. It was strange, if he ever went out with her, wouldn't it be like going out with his own mother? It was very strange but it gave Zack good dreams anyways.  
  
Zack woke up to a large bang at his door. He widened his eyes and realized it was his father. A big chunk of the door came off. Zack had overslept. Whenever he overslept, the closer he was to death. Zack's father was using a hammer, and a big baseball bat lay on the floor beside his feet.  
  
Zack grabbed his book from under his pillow and quickly opened his window. He glanced at his dad who was ready to get into his room, grinning. Zack jumped out onto the ladder and slammed his window. He slid down and knocked the ladder away from his window so that his father would not be able to get down without running all the way downstairs. His father used the baseball bat to hit the window while Zack was still looking back.  
  
The spray of glass hit him. He was scratched on his face but he was still able to run. He was bleeding a little, but still okay. He ran down the street to the pier, hoping Shyana would be there. He later decided to read while he waited. It was the 23rd time he had read this book. He stopped for a moment and looked at his watch. It was 1:17 pm.  
  
He had had a close call with his father. That is why he always had to wake up extra early in the morning and go back to sleep in the library or on the pier afterwards. He thought his dad still had a chance to be good, a slim chance, but still a chance. Zack's friends weren't able to see it and they never liked being near his father.  
  
What if Shyana doesn't like being near him either? He thought  
  
Well it wouldn't really be a loss yet. He thought she probably already had a boyfriend. He didn't know much about her yet, but he would like to. He daydreamed on the pier about Shyana so much that he didn't even notice she was standing beside him.  
  
'Hey what's' up, I thought you were supposed to come her sunset only.' She laughed a little.  
  
'Well, I thought it was a nice day to just spend some time on the pier reading.' He said  
  
She smiled.  
  
He's cute, sensitive, and smart . . . he seems perfect so far. She thought  
  
She spotted the scratches on his face  
  
'Did you get scratched by a cat or something?' she asked.  
  
'Yes . . . Yeah sure.' He thought she may be thinking that he gets hurt too much. That he could probably be bad luck or something.  
  
Shyana spotted the book beside him. 'You like a walk to remember?'  
  
He nodded 'Yeah . . . it's my favorite.'  
  
'Mine too!'  
  
Ok now he must be perfect for me! I hope he doesn't have a girlfriend though. She thought  
  
They talked about the book for a while surprised at how much they had in common. After about three hours of a walk to remember. They walked down to the nearest subway to get a bite to eat. And they were talking about a walk to remember all the way there.  
  
Chapter 3: Old friends, old memories  
  
'I'll order the cold cut trio please, a foot long cut in half with some provolone cheese . . .'  
  
Zack was ordering Shyana's food along with his, when Shyana spotted a group of kids her age staring at her and whispering to one another.  
  
'. . . also with jalapenos and some vinegar oil, Is that it Shy?'  
  
He decided to call her that. It was short, yet not the exact description of Shyana, even though she was sometimes hesitant.  
  
'Huh? Oh, yeah sure, that's great.'  
  
Zack smiled and looked around to see what Shyana had been staring at. He almost dropped the food.  
  
It was his old gang, including his old best friend, with one other person he thought he would never see again. The one person that had softened his heart then broke it.  
  
'Hey Zack, do you know them.' Shyana asked  
  
'From a while back . . . I didn't expect to see them, for a long time.'  
  
Zack didn't want to see them, but he had no choice. He had to face them.  
  
'Look, their coming over zack, maybe you can introduce me to them.'  
  
Shyana was ecstatic about meeting some of Zack's friends. She could tell Tricia all about it after she came out of her coma, if she ever did, Shyana was planning to let her come and spend some time of the summer in Florida with her.  
  
The group casually walked over. Zack was eyeing the one pretty blonde girl in the middle and the boy walking next to her.  
  
'Hey, what's up Zack? Long time man, a year?' said one of the boys.  
  
'Yeah oh um, this is my new . . . uh friend umm. . . Shyana, she just moved here.' Zack didn't seem too happy about Shyana meeting his friends.  
  
'Zack . . .' the blonde girl walked up to him.  
  
'Janis . . . it's been such a long time.' Zack looked in to her eyes. Shyana watched, her heart started to break, she hoped it wasn't what she thought it was and it wasn't who she thought it was.  
  
The group quieted down, everyone watching Zack and Janis Arapaho, holding each other, not caring what the world was about to see.  
  
'Yeah. . . I've missed you so much, there hasn't been a minute since that blissful day that I haven't thought about you, and what . . . could have been.' Tears streamed down Janis's cheeks and Zack held her close to him.  
  
'No Janis, don't cry . . . I'm here . . . I'm here now.'  
  
Janis lifted her head and kissed Zack. Zack opened his eyes just in time to see Shyana run out of the building.  
  
* * * Later on, after saying to Janis that he would meet her at the pier he had a meeting with his old friends, talking over their subs. Shyana's half of the sandwich sat alone, at the other side of the table, because she had left, Zack decided to eat it himself.  
  
'So Zack, who was that girl, a new girlfriend I suppose?'  
  
His old friends laughed, but Zack didn't. Shyana seemed very hurt about him kissing Janis. Maybe she did like him a lot.  
  
'Oh come on Zack, she's just a girl? Not like your ever going to marry her right?' Zack's friend Chris said.  
  
'Yeah I guess your right Chris, but I still feel awful.'  
  
'Well I have a date with my girl guys, I'll see you later.' Chris jumped up and ran out the door with a big grin on his face.  
  
'It's good to have you back Zack. I never thought I would see you again.'  
  
'Yeah Landon, it's nice to be back with my best friend. But your style changed man.'  
  
Zack looked at Landon. He was wearing a white t-shirt and a blue polo shirt with some dark baggy jeans. And he had dyed his hair blonde from his old dark brown.  
  
'Yeah well I guess I look better now. Ha. Well I have to go too. I'll see you man.'  
  
They did heir special handshake and went off in separate directions. Zack felt bad, but he was happy to have his friends behind him all the way.  
  
* *  
* 'He has a girlfriend you idiot! How could you not have seen it?! If he's such a perfect guy how could he not have been taken?' Shyana yelled at herself about it all the way until she reached her house.  
  
'Hi sweetie how was you're . . .'  
  
Shyana ran up to her room and cut her mother off with the slam of her door. . .  
  
'Okay then . . .'  
And her mother went back to cooking.  
  
Shyana lay on her bed cried. She knew she was being a real baby crying over some guy she only knew for three days. Yet she had been so relieved that she had found someone new after Connor that it felt so bad to be lost again. She opened her bedside drawer and took out a picture of Connor.  
  
'Why did you have to leave me? Can you see what I have to go through now? I thought we were supposed to be together forever!'  
  
She held the picture close, her tears falling to her bed. She cried until she was all cried out, wishing her pain would end.  
  
'Together forever . . .' as her voice faded and her eyes closed, she gazed out her window at the pier where two figures of Zack and Janis stood, hand in hand talking. And Shyana fell asleep, the car crash scene replaying in her mind, but not letting her awake. She was stuck inside the worse moment of her life until the sun set.  
  
* *  
*  
  
'Zack . . . It's been so long, and I can't believe your still here.'  
  
Janis looked at Zack deeply.  
  
'I've missed you and having Landon instead wasn't the same. It was never the same after you were gone Zack . . . never.'  
  
Zack didn't know what to do, there was Shyana and then there was Janis. Who would he choose?  
  
'Janis, it has been long and . . . and things have changed.'  
  
Zack's father hadn't changed but his love life had, he had to tell Janis about Shyana.  
  
'Your father has stopped hurting you? That's great news Zack!'  
  
Janis smiled. Sincerely happy that she had Zack back, and that everything would be alright, she had no idea he was talking about something else.  
  
'This is great! Now we can live happily!'  
  
Before zack could say something Janis took him and kissed him, as the sun set.  
  
'I have to go now, I love you zack. I'll see you later ok?'  
  
'But . . . but . . .'  
  
Janis walked away and Zack was left on the pier. He looked at Shyana's room window. It was dark, and Zack didn't feel like knocking at her door.  
  
'You only knew her for three days man. She won't care, or she'll get over it.'  
  
Zack told himself. But he couldn't help but think that even if she might not care, he might care more.  
  
Chapter 4: Rain Drops  
  
Shyana woke late at night, from the rain drops on her window. She put on her coat and grabbed her umbrella; she needed to have a walk.  
  
She waked through the storm, the wind constantly reminding her that she was alone. She walked until she got to the bus stop. She had no where to go, and she had no money. She couldn't go anywhere. She sat there, as the bus came.  
  
'Come on lady are you getting on or not.' The bus driver yelled  
  
She shook her head, the rain drops mixing with her tears. She thought about what had happened. Zack had a girlfriend, and he didn't even care that Shyana was there when he kissed Janis. Shyana felt so alone, she felt as though the world around her was trying to torture her in anyway it could. Her umbrella, still open was blown away by the wind.  
  
'Ugh! What the hell is going on? Can't you see me god! Do you see how much pain I'm suffering? Do you give me even a piece of sympathy? My world is coming to an end and nothing is giving me a sign of hope, at least you could!'  
  
She yelled to the sky. Her makeup was smearing, but she didn't care, she didn't care if anyone saw her. The rain strengthened, and she was being soaked. Her t-shirt was so wet that it made her body visible, sticking to her skin.  
  
She fell on her knees, and cupped her face in her hands.  
  
'It's all coming to an end. Can I just die here? Please just let me die here.'  
  
Her memory came back to her. This is how Connor and Shyana met. It was a rainy night, and she had missed the bus because she had been chasing after her umbrella. Her clothes had been soaked, and Connor, as a stranger to her, came to help her. He shared his umbrella with her and walked her to the nearest restaurant, a subway. After that they had been meeting each other, and one day had started to go steady. Four years later he had brought her to a fancy French restaurant; Fervoi' voe lai'e. He gave her the locket and a single rose that night. The rose was as red as her dress, and the golden locket matched it perfectly.  
  
They had left the restaurant, and it was raining as bad as it is now. Connor shared that same umbrella as he did on the day they met. They had no clue that everything was going to end in just a few minutes.  
  
'We didn't know . . . that we would be separated from then on.' Shyana said. Lost in her thoughts; not aware that Zack's friend was walking towards her.  
  
They had been driving on the road, with the rain making it so hard to see. They were driving on the bridge and they saw headlights coming toward them. The car coming towards them was red. That was how close it got, so that Shyana was able to see its hood. The tires on our car screeched, and the red car turned. Connor lost control, the car went flying over the side of the bridge, plummeting to the dark waters below.  
  
She was on the shore afterwards, remembering swimming there. She didn't want to look at Connor . . . she knew at the time he was dead, but it hadn't sunk in yet. Then she blacked out. She awoke in a hospital bed. Her head was wrapped in a bandage, and it was throbbing, but she took no notice. The only think on her mind was Connor.  
  
She had screamed at the doctors to tell her where he was and if he was okay. They just tried to get her to lie down again. But she jumped up and ran out of the room, slipping on her wet shoes. The dye from her dress was seeping down her legs like blood. She ran into each room, searching for Connor's. She finally found it. She ran in and looked at the doctors faces, they too shook their heads. She looked at the heart monitor. It read dead. Connor was really dead. She ran to his side, held his head close to hers. She whispered that she loved him over and over again, but he never said anything back, she knew he wouldn't, that he couldn't.  
  
'Shyana, is that you?' Zack's friend asked  
  
She nodded.  
  
'Come on, you have to get out of this rain, I'll bring you home ok? Come on, oh and my name is Landon Matheson.'  
  
'Thank you Landon . . . Thank you.' Shyana walked with him in the storm. Her body was shaking, not from the cold rain against her body, but from the pain in her heart.  
  
Chapter 5: A best friend's comfort  
  
Shyana went with Landon over to her house when the rain stopped. Her face felt swollen and her eyes still burned, her clothes were soaking wet, and her make up was smearing.  
  
'Why were you out there in the rain this late? I mean it's like 11:00 pm now.' Landon was trying to comfort her, still not knowing exactly why she was crying in the first place.  
  
'Its nothing . . . I just feel really sad. Everything in my life is going wrong.' She didn't feel like talking about it, she was tired and the night was getting colder, so she was very vulnerable for a cold.  
  
'You don't have to tell me. You don't even know me so I doubt you would. But still, does this have anything to do about Zack kissing Janis? Because you ran straight out of the building as fast as a torpedo when Zack kissed Janis.'  
  
Shyana could see Landon's eyes searching for a sign on her face. She didn't want to show that Zack was her weakness; she didn't want to show that she wasn't as strong as she promised herself she would be.  
  
'I really don't want to talk about it, and I'm really tired. I guess I just need to sleep on it for a while, but thank you for everything Landon.'  
  
'No problem really, but I would like to know what was wrong. So can we meet up again, it doesn't have to be today, but I'd like to help you with whatever it is.'  
  
'Sure Landon, no problem there neither. Also, I don't think it could be today so, maybe tomorrow or something. I wasn't planning on talking to any of Zack's friends so, well umm . . . I'm . . . uh, busy now so, maybe . . . maybe later.'  
  
'Oh ok, I can call you up or you can call me. Because after you tell me what's wrong, if it's what I think it is we can help each other out ok?'  
  
'Okay.'  
  
We swapped phone numbers and went out separate paths. I went in my house up to my room, trying to be as quiet as I could be. Even if I lost Zack, maybe I have a chance with Landon.  
  
'What am I thinking?'  
  
Shyana thought  
  
'No . . . I can't do that. I mean their friends, and well if there is any chance that Zack may like me, I still have a chance. And it wouldn't be right to go out with his friend anyways.'  
  
Shyana wrote down Landon's phone number as she remembered it, changed her clothes, and jumped into her bed. She covered her face with her pillow and breathed in the smell of her shampoo. She tried to take her mind off of everything else by focusing on that smell.  
  
They were those beautiful, sweet and wonderful roses. Her shampoo smelled like roses. Even though it was supposed to smell like pine, it smelled like roses. That's what helped her fall asleep, feeling like she was lost into a garden of roses.  
  
And she slept a dreamless sleep.  
  
* * *  
  
Zack sat underneath the tree. He wasn't going to go home anymore. He was going to stay in the woods. He was so scared; he didn't feel there was even any chance of being safe anymore. His father was probably trashing up his room again. He sat there under the tree in the rain. He listened to the sounds around him, hearing nothing but the rain drops. So he fell asleep under the tree, getting soaking wet, with nothing but his backpack and book. Wondering what the future will bring him, life or death.  
  
* * *  
  
When Shyana woke up she went straight to her kitchen, because for her being sad brought hunger. So she headed for the fridge when she noticed a small note and a letter on the table top. On the note she read:  
  
"Shyana, your dad and I went to go get some food, the fridge is empty but I left some waffles for you. Don't forget to feed muffin, she hasn't eaten yet. Oh and the letter is from Tricia, I hope she's ok. Love you!  
-Mom"  
  
'Tricia?' Shyana was so happy her best friend had gotten out of her coma, now she could visit her in Florida. She tore open the envelope and quickly pulled out the letter. She read:  
  
"Dear Shyana,  
What's up girl? I haven't heard from you in a long time. Well I probably wouldn't have been able to anyways, have been in a coma and all. My goodness! I can't believe you already moved! Are there any cute boys there? My mom said I could visit in a few weeks, after all this stupid recovering junk, I mean I feel just fine! The doctors are so overprotective. Ok well I hope you're ready to have me come back into your life! We can go to Disney world! Ha! Well write back ok? I have to eat now, ewe, apple sauce, and people I am not a senior citizen! I am a perfectly fine (and beautiful) 18 year old girl! Get a grip! Lylas girl!  
-Trish"  
  
'Yes! Tricia is coming! I have to get ready!'  
  
Shyana hurried to pull her clothes on while her waffle was toasting, she fed the dog and ate the waffle on her way to the post office. Her family didn't buy any stamps and envelopes yet, so she had to buy some new ones. And as Shyana wrote her letter to Tricia she thought that this way she wouldn't feel so alone with Tricia by her side.  
  
* *  
*  
  
While Shyana was at home sleeping, and Zack sitting under the tree, getting rest, but no sleep Landon was at his house writing in his journal.  
  
Tuesday morning, July 14, 2003  
  
'Yesterday I met this new girl who moved to Florida and had become Zack's friend. She's really pretty and I think she has a "thing" for Zack. Earlier she saw Zack and Janis kissing and she ran out of the building when she saw it. I saw her earlier this morning, she had been out all night in the cold rain crying about something, but she wouldn't tell me what. So I took her to her house and we gave each other our phone numbers. I hope to see her alter on or to get a phone call from her. Oh and Janis got back with Zack, so I guess I'm free again. Its not too bad, Janis and I never really got along like how Zack and her did, she always talked about him and wondered how he was, she never actually thought about her current boyfriend, me, who is now her ex. Oh well, never dwell on the past right?  
-Landon'  
  
Landon finished writing in his journal and went outside to play with his dog, Rascal, a golden retriever. They played Frisbee for a while and once Landon was so lost in thought that he forgot to throw the Frisbee and was knocked over by Rascal.  
  
He decided to call her later on after he had some lunch it was just 11:13 am and he thought that maybe Shyana needed some more sleep than just that. She had wasted a lot of energy crying outside, and probably didn't feel the need to be bothered.  
  
So Landon went on to talk to his mother, who was in her office doing her work. She was a work at home mother. The walls of her office were covered in all the football trophies Landon won during the school year. He was the teams lead player. She was wearing her lamb pajama pants and she was wearing her work shirt for a top with a tie and speaking to her computer.  
  
'Now listen to me James the profit need to go higher by twenty percent and no buts about it! Do you understand?'  
  
'Yes Mrs. Matheson, boss.' The man on the computer replied.  
  
'Ok good, now its time for my break I'll talk to you later James.' And Mrs. Matheson turned off the computer.  
  
She turned on her chair to face Landon and took a sip of her coffee.  
  
'Yes dear? What do you need?' She placed her coffee back on its electric heater, and took her stress ball in hand and started squeezing it furiously.  
  
'Well I don't know, just wanted to talk. I've been feeling like a need to go somewhere new all of a sudden.  
  
'Well here is twenty dollars, now make sure its something good ok? Maybe you can buy something for me or Janis of course.' His mother emphasized when she mentioned herself, wanting Landon to always buy her something when she had enough money to buy a whole shop of Victoria's secret.  
  
'Well Janis and I broke up, don't ask ok? Thanks for the money, I'll be back later, but I am going to buy something for some don't worry.'  
  
And with that Landon ran out of the room and grabbed his car keys and jacket, leaving his mother with her mouth half open, getting ready to question about Janis. So she closed her mouth with a snap and turned her computer back on, typing about something for a new sale of the diamond industry.  
  
Chapter 6: Changes  
  
Shyana was thinking about putting a no trespassing sign on the pier. Her family owned the property now and that included the pier so no one should be there anyways and anyhow, also she didn't want to see Zack ever again after how he broke her heart.  
  
He knew she liked him! And he seemed to make her think he liked her too, she didn't want to see him, she wished she had never met him. So she grabbed a piece of paper from her printer and wrote with a large permanent marker "No Trespassing!!!" and at the bottom, "Beware of Dog!" even though she knew muffin was way too small to chew or attack anyone, but at least it sounded dangerous.  
  
She received a phone call later on in the day; it was Landon asking if she wanted to go on a little trip while she was free. She said she would love to, so she left a note on the table saying she was going to be out for the rest of the evening.  
  
So Landon picked her up at around one and off they went in his little BMW convertible.  
  
'I plan to bring us to this cute little restaurant somewhere down Florida nearer to the waters. I love going there, the have the most marvelous Venetian foods and they have a beautiful view; it makes you feel like you're actually in Venice.'  
  
Landon said to Shyana while they were on the road passing a bunch of signs that indicated what the speed limit was. 'I love Venetian food! But how long will it take us to get there?'  
  
She looked out the side and watched as the car sped by the road lines, making them seem as if they were moving.  
  
'Not too long, I'm sure you'll love it there, it's a French name for the restaurant even though they mostly make the Venetian foods that I'm sure you'll love.'  
  
They kept the conversation going while Shyana kept asking him questions about what it was like and how expensive the food would be and how he could afford it. Landon would just wave his hand and say  
  
'My mother is the boss of a large diamond business and she makes great sales, my credit card is half forwarded to her bank and so are my checks so I don't have to worry.'  
  
And Shyana was impressed about everything he had. The money, the charm and all the awards he said he had earned how he played the electric guitar and all the confidence he had also the knowledge of where the best places in Florida were.  
  
Maybe it wasn't too much of a loss from Zack; he wasn't too much to worry about, even though he did seem more sensitive than Landon.  
  
When they finally stopped driving it was at this dirty old parking lot that seemed to not have been redone for a long time. There were weeds growing out of the concrete and a lot of trash lying around. Landon locked up his car and pulled the hood back on.  
  
'Okay look, now I know it doesn't look that great right now but just wait.'  
  
Before Landon had picked Shyana up, she had changed into a red spring skirt that she thought would be safe and comfortable, but now that Landon was leading her through the bushes that lined the parking lot, she started to think twice as some of these bushes had thorns on then and pointed leaves.  
  
'Here, these bushes are going to start to get worse, let me carry you.'  
  
Before Shyana could object, Landon had picked her up. It seemed to him that she was very light, yet Shyana was turning almost as pink as her dress from the embarrassment of having to be carried to get somewhere when she was perfectly capable.  
  
At last they reached the end of the bushed and Landon placed Shyana back on the ground. Shyana was shocked at what she was seeing. It was a small restaurant called 'trattoria da brace'. It had a small table with two chairs and a small vase with some flowers in it. Shyana's mouth had dropped open as she looked around some more. The restaurant seemed to glow golden in the sunlight. And beyond the little gate at the end of the concrete was the ocean, where sail boats were sailing and ducks were swimming. The restaurant was covered in flowered vines and little red flowers in the windows. It had little red and white striped curtains on the inside and out pat the ocean were little houses and beyond that a bunch of green. It looked so much like Italy.  
  
'It's strange isn't it, first were in Florida, at a French restaurant that looks like it's from Italy that cooks Venetian food. Ha! It's so nice though, what do you think?' Landon looked at Shyana, with her mouth still open.  
  
'I think its beautiful Landon! Where did you ever find a restaurant like this?'  
  
She was still looking around, obviously in awe at what she was seeing.  
  
'Actually, I work here.'  
  
Shyana quickly turned to look at him.  
  
'No. You're kidding right?'  
  
'No. I'm not kidding at all I do work here. It's a wonderful restaurant and the people here are friendly, you know, you can work here too if you like. You can be a waitress, would you like that?'  
  
Shyana nodded her head enthusiastically. She wanted to stay everyday here but she still wondered how much he got paid.  
  
They had a wonderful dinner outside at the small table and Shyana insisted on talking about Landon. He impressed her so much. After that one of the workers at the restaurant started to play a beautiful song on his violin.  
  
'Would you care to dance?' Landon asked  
  
'I'd love to.' Shyana replied  
  
And Landon and Shyana danced as a flock of geese flew overhead, and the waves gently rocked against the small wooden boat on the side of the concrete below the restaurant.  
  
* *  
*  
  
While Shyana had been away, Zack had made his way over to his house. He knocked and rang the doorbell over and over and waited very long until at around 7:00 pm Shyana's parent's came home. They told him that maybe she was out and he should go home, but he said he had something important to show her and waited until around nine for her to come home. She then finally did.  
  
He saw Landon's BMW pull up into her driveway so he walked up to it and saw Shyana inside laughing about something with Landon.  
  
'Hey Landon, what's up?'  
  
Shyana looked at him for only a second and made an angry face then turned away.  
  
'Oh Zack, I was just taking Shyana to dinner for a little while, don't worry, I helped her get a new job, well I have to go okay?'  
  
And Landon quickly pulled out and drove away without Zack saying anymore. Shyana was slowly walking towards her door, so Zack ran up to her.  
  
'Shyana what is wrong with you?!'  
Shyana quickly turned around and almost knocked Zack over with her speed, she was definitely angry.  
  
'What's my problem? What's your problem?!' She started to turn around but Zack grabbed her by the arm.  
  
'Get off of me!'  
  
'Shyana I just want you to be happy!'  
  
Shyana was almost to her door she opened it and stepped inside 'If you want to make me happy then there is one simple thing that you can do for me.'  
  
'I'll do anything.'  
  
'Leave.'  
  
And she shut the door in his face. He stood there alone for the next five minutes thinking about what had just happened. He didn't want to believe it. He really did like her and wanted to get to know her better. I'm coming back tomorrow then, he thought, whether she likes it or not.  
  
Chapter 7: Fish kisses  
  
Shyana started her new job one day later; she enjoyed working at such a beautiful place and appreciated the help that Landon was giving her. He was very careful with his words and actions and she started to like him a lot.  
  
One day she was sweeping the outside of the store when Landon rushed outside and asked her if she wanted to go for a little boat ride. She said yes, thinking it would be on a large boat, motorized or being rowed by another person, but she was wrong. He climbed over the little fence beside the restaurant and jumped over the side into the little wooden boat.  
  
'Come on!' he yelled.  
  
'Landon are you sure this is safe? I mean I've just been working here for a week and I don't want to get fired, plus the boat reeks of fish.' She noticed that there was some stuff lying inside the boat there was a net inside and a small cooler.  
  
'We won't get in trouble, the boss wants me to catch some fish, and he says that you can help so you can learn how to do this when I'm promoted to being head frying man.'  
  
Shyana gave a small smile and tied her brown hair up into a ponytail.  
  
'Will you catch me if I fall?'  
  
He ran his hand through his sun-streaked blonde hair and thought for a second. Well might as well give it a try man he thought to himself.  
  
'I'm only going to catch you if you're falling for me!'  
  
Shyana smiled and said  
  
'Of course I am!'  
  
So she climbed on the fence and let herself fall. Landon caught her just in time and held her for a second. He wanted to kiss her so bad, and she did say she was falling for him, but instead he held himself back, he didn't want her to think of him as someone who wanted to make a real steady relationship fast.  
  
Shyana looked into his eyes; she wanted to be held him forever. Now she was happy she knew Zack because if Shyana had never known Zack then she would have never met Landon. He twisted her ponytail with his fingers then turned away. Ok I'm going to have to row us out there so you'd better get comfy, if it's possible. He smiled at her and she sat down, looking at the water, it looked murky and she was glad she had jumped into the boat and not made a mistake of falling into the water.  
  
She tried to feel comfortable but the wood on the boat seemed to creak at her every move. Landon untied the boat from the hook it was tied to and took the oars and paddled out into the sea. Once they were somewhat in the middle of it all and the water wasn't as murky, Landon started hooking the net to the side of the boat.  
  
'Want to do this part while I get the bait ready?'  
  
He stopped hooking the net and held it up to her.  
  
'Ok but, why do you need bait if your using a net?'  
  
He turned around and grabbed something from the cooler.  
  
'Because why would the fish come up to the net in the first place if they didn't have anything to come up there for?'  
  
He opened the jar he was holding and Shyana realized it was full of chunks of fish meat.  
  
'I thought fish ate worms.'  
  
He looked at her in a funny way and said:  
  
'You've never been fishing have you?'  
  
'Nope I have never been fishing before, my dad isn't the fishing type, and he's more of the house cleaning kind of guy. Mom makes the money and dad cleans the house, but works part time at the grocery shop.'  
  
'Ok well, the bigger fish prefer the taste of meat, so the bigger the fish the better right?'  
  
She nodded her head and started hooking the net to the little hooks on the side of the boat.  
  
Landon threw the meat onto the little pouches in the net. So that's where it goes, Shyana thought.  
  
'And now we just wait for a while.'  
  
'And you get paid for this?'  
  
'Yeah, and your being paid too, isn't it neat?'  
  
He took out two sandwiches from the cooler.  
  
'This is also used as bait. Tuna fish sandwiches, fish love them, I hate them.'  
  
So he threw pieces of the sandwich into the pouches with the meat.  
  
'So . . . my friend Tricia is coming over next week, do you think she could hang with us for a little while? She's only visiting for a little while and she just came out of a coma so what do you think?'  
  
'Sure she can come, but do you promise that once in a while we could still have a day alone? You know just you and me hanging?'  
  
Shyana seemed lost for a second. Does this mean he wants to be alone with me because he likes me or just because he thinks having Tricia over all the time would be annoying? She didn't want to disagree with Landon so she said okay.  
  
Landon turned his head from the water and walked over to Shyana's side of the boat and sat down next to her.  
  
Okay don't think just do, Landon thought. So he pretended to snore and laid his head on Shyana's lap.  
  
She smiled at him and glanced at the net. Some fishes were starting to bite at the meat. She looked back down at Landon, who had closed his eyes and started to make snoring sounds.  
  
She started to laugh and he opened his eyes.  
  
He didn't say a word or make a face; he lifted himself up on his elbows and leaned in to kiss her. Shyana thought she would never feel this happy again. Neither of them stopped and suddenly Shyana fell off her seat and onto the floor of the boat, but neither of them pulled away until they heard the sound of at least a hundred fish flapping in the water. That's when they looked up. Landon started laughing.  
  
'Today must be my lucky day.' Then he went back to kissing Shyana.  
  
Once they had stopped and went back to the restaurant, then given the fish to their boss; who was very pleased indeed, they were a mess.  
  
Their boss, Mr.Perrar, let them off an hour early. Shyana was very glad because she didn't want her family to see her like this messy. So she rode home with Landon before her parents were able to go home.  
  
When she reached her house and gotten out of the car, Landon walked her to her door and gave her a little present.  
  
'I bought this for you the other day, I hope you like it.'  
  
He took out a small bag from his pocket and emptied it into his hand. It was a small ID bracelet.  
  
'I love it.'  
  
Shyana put it on and gave Landon one more long kiss. Then she went inside and leaned against the door. What a wondrous day she thought. Then she rushed upstairs to her room to take a long shower, because she still smelled like fish.  
  
* *  
*  
  
Landon had seen it all, he had been hiding behind a tree and watched Shyana kiss Landon. He felt so sad, but he couldn't let that stop him from liking Shyana. Janis had been angry at him earlier from smelling like moss and not paying attention to her and argued about him always talking about Shyana and how nice she was she said he was acting really fishy. He had to go home later on and his father threw a chair at him, so he had to stay with Janis in her room for a while. Her room was a trailer since she had so many siblings and wanted some room of her own, so Zack planned to stay there for a while. He had picked up his clothes from his house. Janis wanted him to be in love with her, but he wanted Shyana. And he wouldn't settle for anything less.  
  
Chapter 8- Just visiting  
  
Shyana could barely contain her excitement. She and Landon had driven to the airport to pick up Tricia and her plane was to be landing soon. Shyana was screeching with happiness when she saw Tricia walk out of the corridor. Tricia looked around and looked as if she couldn't see Shyana.  
  
'Trish! Over here!' Tricia turned around and saw her.  
  
'Dang girl, you look so different! Did you lose a couple, what, twenty thirty pounds?'  
  
'Very funny Trish, this is my boyfriend, landon. Landon, this is my best friend Tricia Castalia.'  
  
'Actually my real name is Olivine but I prefer Tricia.'  
  
'It's my pleasure to meet you.'  
  
Landon was kind of jealous that Shyana was so excited about spending time with Tricia that she almost forgot about Landon. But since he wanted her to be happy he just let it go. He never did understand why when girls were usually together, they forget about the boy's that came with them.  
  
Then Shyana turned to him. She looked at him into his eyes deeply and took his collar and pulled him close to her as she leaned over.  
  
'Would you. . .'  
  
'Would I what?'  
  
'Would you like some . . . Ice cream?!'  
  
She started laughing and Landon just smiled, no matter how much Landon insisted to pay for the ice cream for them, Shyana still paid. She bought one small ice cream for Tricia and an extra large for Landon.  
  
'Where's yours?'  
  
'I wanted to share with you.'  
  
So they ate their ice cream as they talked and talked about what had happened over the time that they haven't seen each other, but Shyana didn't mention Zack, she wanted to try and forget all about him. Yet all of a sudden Tricia asked. Shyana had told hr what had happened in one of her previous letters.  
  
'So does he still hang with you guys?'  
  
Shyana shook her head no.  
  
'He has other things to do.'  
  
So they sat in silence while they drove back to the house. When they got there Tricia said that Landon and Shyana could go ahead and go have dinner somewhere while she got her rest, she was supposed to have a two hour nap every day at that time to help her head.  
  
So while Shyana and Landon had a fun time out at the trattoria da brace' Tricia was awakened by a loud knock on the door. Shyana's mother was off at work and her father out on his military duties. So she had to wake up and go to the door. There stood a thin, but muscular, young boy, about her age, 18 or 19. He looked at her and said:  
  
'Is Shyana home?'  
  
Tricia looked at him and realized that he must be zack.  
  
'I'm sorry she's uh . . . she's out somewhere what do you need?  
  
'I wanted to talk.'  
  
'You can talk to me, my name is Tricia, and you must be Zack.'  
  
'Yeah, I am.'  
  
So Zack told Tricia all about his feelings for Shyana and what he wanted to tell her. He wanted to tell her that he needed help. That his father was abusive, and his girlfriend (Janis) wasn't a help because she wouldn't listen to him. Tricia listened, and showed emotions like In the movies. Tricia would give gasps, sighs, and expressions on her face. Tricia told Zack that she would tell Shyana all about it, and that she would try to help anyway that she could. Zack told her he doubted anyone could do anything about it. Only Shyana could. Somehow zack knew that her love and her beauty of his mother could help his father, be more than just the evil person he was.  
  
'I know your just visiting and I'm sorry to have to get you in the middle of this all but well . . . I just need some one to tell.' Zack was kind of embarrassed that he had told a total stranger all about his private life. But Tricia didn't mind at all. She promised to tell Shyana everything. Zack gave her Janis's cell phone number, which Janis had let zack have. Zack went back to Janis's trailer and went to sleep, hoping that Shyana would forgive him.  
  
When Shyana came home, Tricia was waiting outside with a solemn expression on her face.  
  
'We need to talk' she said, as she pulled Shyana in the house and closed the door.  
  
Chapter 9: It can be better  
  
'Look, Zack was here a little while ago.'  
  
Shyana looked up from her ID bracelet.  
  
'Should I really care?'  
  
He didn't mean anything to her anymore. They were no longer friends, just acquaintances.  
  
'Sit down Shyana this is very important. He's being hurt badly. He was bruised and scratched and well, just hurt when he came over.'  
  
Shyana sat down. She thought he might have gotten into trouble and gotten beaten up again or something. She didn't have any business in his business anyways.  
  
Tricia took hold of hr by her shoulders and shook her.  
  
'He's being abused by his father and it gets worse every time he goes near that house. Zack says maybe you can help. You look a lot like his mother, he told me so.'  
  
Shyana finally looked into her eyes.  
  
'Really Trish, How would that ever help? I mean sure I may look like his mother, but just because I look like someone in his house doesn't mean that his family is going to take favor in me.'  
  
'Shyana Belle McKessa, listen to me. His mother died of cancer, his father blames Zack. This is what is triggering the anger in him. And he takes it out on what he thinks is the cause, namely Zack. And Zack cares for his father a lot but, well, he's also afraid of him. He said he never meant to hurt you, and he still likes you a lot. He wants you to help him. He wants to meet you at the pier tomorrow. He wants to invite you to dinner, yet he wants me to come for protection.'  
  
Shyana had to smile at this. Tricia may have been perky and fashionable, like her but she was not the fighter type. She even said herself that she couldn't kill a dead fly. So Shyana agreed. Sure she was kind of scared about the part that Zack actually thought of protection needing to be there. Maybe he was joking. His father wouldn't hurt a stranger, or would he? Shyana knew nothing of Zack's father; she hadn't even known that his mother died.  
  
The next day came. Landon called asking if Shyana would like to go out to the zoo with Trish to come and feed the dolphins. His friend worked there so that they could come over anytime they wanted to. But Shyana had also promised to meet zack at the pier and she always kept her promises.  
  
It was five thirty when Shyana saw him. She had dressed nicely so she looked respectful. Tricia was a little suspicious so she brought some pepper spray. She also brought some for Shyana.  
  
'I hoped you would be here.' Zack smiled a bit. There was a slight quiver in Zack's voice, as if he were scared or something.  
  
Shyana looked at Tricia. She nodded and they followed Zack as he walked down the street.  
  
When they got to the house it looked very ordinary, as if nothing bad could have been happening inside. But there was a ladder that had been knocked down near a broken window on the left side of the cream house. The window sides were a reddish color and the curtains were white, it was a beautiful house actually. Yet the front lawn was unkempt and the rose bushes were overgrowing onto the front steps of the house.  
  
'Hey Zack,' Shyana asked  
  
He looked at her questioningly  
  
'Is this going to be one of those long-term sorts of things?' Zack looked at her then at the house.  
  
'It probably will be.'  
  
Then he walked up to the house and looked at the doorbell. It was busted, apparently punched to the end of its function. So Zack took the gold painted locker on the front of the red door and knocked three loud times.  
  
A grandfather clock from inside ringed that it was six o' clock already. The doorknob turned and the door opened, there stood Zack's father, the one who caused pain for Zack, and the one who forced Zack to go and live elsewhere, Mr. Anderson himself.  
  
Chapter 10: First Bloodshed  
  
Shyana was surprised. From what she had thought of an abusing father to be Mr. Anderson definitely didn't fit the part. He had a black suit and tie and his hair was combed back neatly. Not bald, no tattoo's or anything that showed there could be something wrong with him or his mind. When Mr. Anderson had first looked at Shyana he smiled a little and his eyes sparkled, then he turned to Zack and he suddenly lost his happiness.  
  
'What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be somewhere else Zack? Somewhere else hurting people?'  
  
Zack was the one who looked hurt when his father said this, and Shyana felt pretty sorry for him so she cut in.  
  
'Oh Mr. Anderson, my name is Shyana McKessa and this is my friend Tricia Castalia. We were here to cook some dinner for you. Zack was wondering if we wanted to go out and eat but we said we could just cook for you and him.'  
  
Mr. Anderson turned towards Zack, who had looked pretty surprised.  
  
'Okay, come on in. I can help make it with you, I'm very good at cooking and you can just call me Thomas.'  
  
The three of them walked into the house. It was fairly clean except for the cobwebs and dusts everywhere. It seemed as if the house hadn't had a good dusting in a while.  
  
'Did Zack tell you he was having trouble here?'  
  
Before Shyana could answer Mr. Anderson, or Thomas, Zack told him he had told Shyana everything about what his father did and why. He told him it was because she might be able to help them. Zack's father of course was not pleased. They had an argument for a little while then Tricia sprayed a little bit of pepper spray in the air which got both of their attentions.  
  
'Both of you stop it,' she said  
  
'You're acting like five year old's. We should be talking about this more calm and civilized than you are. Stop bickering so Shyana and I can cook the food while you two just tell us how you feel about each other.'  
  
It took a while, but while Shyana and Tricia were making the spaghetti and chicken Alfredo, Thomas and Zack talked over everything that was going on in their hearts. There was much Drama and sometimes even crying. It was a funny scene without the subject. Two girls cooking chicken pasta while two strong men were sitting at the dinner table weeping. They ate while they talked and Zack went to Janis's house for the night afterwards. Shyana and Tricia would have to come back again soon to help with more of the arguments, but they were getting somewhere.  
  
'Did you notice Thomas was acting strange around you. Like he was afraid to hurt you or something? I don't know he looked like you were going to die right in front of him.'  
  
They were sleeping in Shyana's room, both talking about what had been happening.  
  
'Well he probably misses his wife, and since I must look like her I wouldn't blame him. If I ever met another person who looked like Connor I wouldn't want to let him get hurt in any way neither, I would probably want to make the best impression ever also so he may not be as nice as he was acting.'  
  
Shyana felt bad at what she said after that. Her heart still hadn't healed from Connor. She missed him so much. But she had to concentrate on what was going on in the present. She couldn't allow herself to dwell on her past.  
  
* *  
*  
  
Earlier that day Landon had been with his friend at the Zoo feeding the dolphins.  
  
'Chris do you think Shyana and I make a good couple, I mean you know . . . is our relationship questionable?' Landon by then smelled a lot like fish.  
  
Chris had been one of those people at subway when Landon had first met Shyana.  
  
'Well man, if I'm going to be honest . . . then yea I'd say your relationship is very questionable indeed. My ex-girlfriend and I had a tough relationship too but well, I asked her to marry me the other night and I found she had another dude too, and she said she loved him more. The dude and I had met on a train earlier; both of us were going to propose to someone that night, we never knew it was going to be the same girl.'  
  
Landon looked questioningly at Chris for him to say more.  
  
'I think he had a car crash after that. I lose the girl but hey, life goes on.'  
  
Chris looked a bit teary by then, his blondish hair falling before his eyes as he cleaned the shallow waters of the dolphin tank. Landon was kind of speechless then. If Chris could stand that then Landon could surely stand for Zack and Shyana, they never really knew each other that well anyways.  
  
They swam with the dolphins and fed them. Landon drove home earlier to check on his dog, Rascal. Still he could not get it out of his head that maybe Shyana would go back to Zack, probably get to know him better, and fall for him instead. As Landon was pondering his relationship his cell phone was ringing non-stop, about an emergency. It was a call from Zack.  
  
* *  
*  
  
Shyana's phone had been ringing also; it was from Zack's cell phone. When she picked it up though, it was Janis.  
  
'Shyana please come here quick!!! Zack's father just busted into my trailer while I wasn't home! There was a not that was on my bed with a knife through it. Zack's dad is holding him hostage! Come quick!'  
  
'I'll be there in a few minutes.'  
  
Shyana hung up and grabbed her jacket.  
  
'Trish come on, wake up!'  
  
Tricia gave a grunt then Shyana shook hr by the shoulders.  
  
'Zack's in trouble we have to help him!'  
  
So Tricia woke up, her hair was messy, not having time to fix it, they drove all the way to Janis's trailer, where Zack had said he was staying about two miles down.  
  
Janis was standing outside of her trailer when Shyana and Tricia pulled up.  
  
'Okay what happened?'  
  
Shyana then took a look at the trailer, it had been beaten in many places and it looked as if it had been hit with a bat. In some places there were gun holes.  
  
'Get in my car!' Shyana yelled to the two.  
  
She drove over sixty miles per hour and ran a red light. She didn't care. One of her friends were in trouble of being hurt, even killed.  
  
Once they got there they heard gunshots. They all thought they might be too late. Janis thought that the person she loved most would be killed. Shyana thought a friend would be killed, and Tricia thought that the boy her friend was probably destined to be with was killed. Tricia honestly didn't really like Landon that much.  
  
All three of them ran to the back o the house where they saw Zack lying on the ground holding his arm, which was bleeding, and his father was standing right above him, with his gun aimed right at Zack's heart.  
  
Chapter 11: Having Faith  
  
Mr. Anderson, or Thomas's hair was messed up and his shirt was torn. His face was red and he had blood splattered all over his white shirt. His arm was bleeding also. It looked as though Zack had cut him with a knife.  
  
'Stop it!' Shyana yelled at Mr. Anderson. He turned and looked at her. Then all of a sudden his face softened and he dropped the gun. Then he looked back at Zack and a wave of sympathy overcame him.  
  
'Oh my, are you . . . okay?' He reached for Zack but Zack just scooted back and yelled for his father to stay away from him. The police had just arrived. They had received the phone call from Janice also. Tricia and Shyana ran to Zack to try and help him when Janis ran to the spot where Mr. Anderson was standing.  
  
'I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry.' Mr. Anderson kept saying over and over again as the police locked him into the car.  
  
Janis was standing there, grinning like a lunatic. Then she walked over to Zack.  
  
'Are you okay honey?' she had stuffed something into her purse then she watched as the medics strapped Zack to a stretcher then packed him into the ambulance. All three girls rode in the ambulance also, with Janis grinning all the way to the hospital.  
  
* *  
*  
  
Landon had just gotten home and was having a small snack when his cell phone started ringing again. It was Shyana.  
  
'Landon, can you come to the hospital, as quickly as you can? Zack's been hurt badly.'  
  
Landon quickly finished his snack and jumped in his car. He drove to the hospital very fast. But there was traffic because of a car crash. So Landon couldn't get there as fast as he had hoped. It took him about three hours to get there.  
  
While Landon was struggling through the traffic, Shyana was playing over history. She sat beside Zack in the hospital room. He looked up at her as she sang to him a sweet song that she had heard one day.  
  
'Love, I long for you with all of my heart. I wish for you to come and stay and I'll sing to you this song, if you'll just stay with me for one last day.'  
  
As Shyana sang the last verse Tricia had just remembered where the song had come from. It was from a really old singer that Shyana had told her about. The sad thing was that was the exact song that was playing in the elevator when Tricia was going to Shyana's hospital room after the car crash.  
  
Janis couldn't stand it. As she sat in a chair on the other side of the hospital bed that Zack was in, and as she watched Shyana stroke his head gently and sing to him, she couldn't stand how obvious it was. That Zack really did love her; he was love-struck. She sat there, without Zack or Shyana noticing her existence. Only the other girl would glance at her every five minutes.  
  
But Janis had an idea. Before the police had come to search for the weapon that was used to harm Zack, Janis picked it up. Later on she planned to use it on Shyana if Zack didn't stop falling in love with her. If Janis couldn't be with Zack . . . no one could.  
  
Landon finally got out of the traffic by taking a back road. It was twice as long but at least no one else was on the road. He drove over the speed limit and was on the brink of losing control but he wanted to make sure Shyana wasn't harmed at all and also that his best friend, Zack, would be okay.  
  
He ran into the hospital, ignoring the commands from the head nurse screaming at him to stop. He ran to the elevator, but the door closed right in his face. He punched the button, hoping it would come down again, but all it did was bust the surrounding metal to the button of the elevator.  
  
So he ran up the stairs, and looked inside each room. Then he heard singing. It was coming from a room down the corridor, so he turned left and ran into the third room on his right. Shyana, surprised, had stopped singing. Zack looked over at the door, squinting from the pain.  
  
Landon ran to Shyana and gave her a big hug. Zack turned on his side so he wouldn't have to see it. Janis was standing now. She had opened her arms also thinking that Landon had come for her. But he kept hugging Shyana and wouldn't let go, no matter how long Janis stood there. Her arms were still open but her expression had changed, instead of that pretty innocent blonde girl, she had become somewhat of a jealous monster.  
  
She sat back down, pouting, and scheming of how to kill Shyana. She had stolen both her men's hearts without even knowing it.  
  
'Soon enough,' Janis thought 'be patient, soon enough . . . she'll be dead.'  
  
Chapter 12: Loving the other  
  
Zack's dad was released after about three months in Jail. Tricia had gone home about five weeks after the incident. Landon and Shyana would spend time together. But at sunset it was for Zack and Shyana only. They would sit there and talk. As much as Shyana wanted to deny it, she realized she had the same amount of feelings for both Zack and Landon. It was a great experience to finally be able to feed the dolphins with Landon, and even better to ride them with him. The restaurant was suddenly becoming busier and more crowded. Landon and Shyana would sometimes still go fishing and throw pieces of tuna sandwich at the biggest fishes they could find.  
  
Landon had made a funny joke about them having to have the best time they could while they weren't in the frying pan yet.  
  
Then zack would be so sensitive at the pier, and some nights would bring her out to dinner. But once Zack's father came home, Shyana and Zack would go to him and talk. They were making progress of course, even tough the whole conversation had to be supervised by two tough looking guards.  
  
Meanwhile, Janis was still scheming of a way to kill Shyana, even though about two years had passed, and Landon and Zack's feelings for Shyana were becoming stronger and her feelings for them too, Janis was still angry that they weren't going gaga over her like they were for Shyana. Shyana had continued a new internship to become a marine biologist and was now attending the University of Florida to graduate and become a marine biologist.  
  
To Janis they were practically the same person. Janis loved to play video games, hang with the boys, read magazines, and play the guitar. Shyana liked playing tennis, hanging with Landon, and Zack, and read and write books and poetry. There was no real difference to Janis.  
  
'Hey Ryan, what's up?'  
  
Landon's best friend Ryan was on the phone. Landon had just called him to tell him what he was going to do next Friday night.  
  
'Hey Landon . . . nothing much is going on. How bout' you? You sound overly excited to tell me something. What you getting married yet?'  
  
This was a single phrase that would usually get Landon laughing, but this time he was extra serious.  
  
'Yes.'  
  
One single word Landon said and his friend was silenced.  
  
'Man, do you mean your going to ask her to marry you?'  
  
'Of course, and she cant help but say yes.'  
  
Landon was obsessed with his idea. They would go to the trattoria de brace, then into the boat and onto the darkened sea. Under the spotlight from the moon, and Landon would pull out the ring and ask her. Then she would say yes it was a perfect plan. Landon never thought that there was a possibility that Shyana would say no.  
  
Zack was sitting on the pier holding Shyana's hand at that time. Shyana didn't refuse, she's known zack for so long, and he meant a lot to her . . . but Landon did too. They sat in silence. Zack could say nothing at all, being so close to Shyana, he was afraid that anything he'd say would sound hurtful, or just plain stupid. They had just come from Zack's house.  
  
His father was becoming nicer and more trustworthy. Zack stopped living in Janis's trailer, he needed to go home. Zack's father helped fix up his room, and they fixed the window. They also put the book from Zack's mother in a glass case and bought a new copy, so Zack could remember his mother forever.  
  
Landon had left a message on Shyana's cell, saying that she should come to the trattoria de brace later on around nine. So she was keeping the extra time she had to her and Zack. They had talked about everything from the latest gossip, to the meaning of life. They didn't keep secrets from each other. Shyana had even told Zack how she felt about both him and Zack. It was eight o' clock when they started sitting in silence. Fifteen minutes passed and Shyana stood up getting ready to go and get dressed.  
  
'I'll see you tomorrow Zack' He stood up and kissed her on the cheek.  
  
Shyana felt a cold breeze pass through her hair, and she saw Zack so wonderfully, so mature.  
  
'Sure, see you.' And he turned and walked away.  
  
Shyana was still standing there. Dazed, she felt wonderful, yet she didn't know why.  
  
'Do I love Zack?' She smiled to herself and thought about it. While she dressed into a light and soft white sweater and a new pair of jeans she had just bought that weekend. She had forgotten to rip off the page on her calendar; it had scribbles all over it, about what had happened and all on that day. So she tucked it into her journal and grabbed her jean jacket, swinging it on. Never suspecting what she was about to realize in a couple of hours.  
  
She drove to the parking lot near the trattoria de brace and ran through the bushes. Landon was looking at something in his hand then when he realized Shyana was there he quickly shoved it into his pocket.  
  
'You ready to go?' Landon asked nodding at the water below.  
  
'Of course I'm ready.' Shyana jumped into the boat after Landon did. She was still afraid she'd knock the boat over and plummet into the water. Landon rowed softly. It looked as though he was in his dream world, smiling at the full moon. Shyana of course was suspicious of why Landon seemed to be so happy. It was as though he was about to own the world.  
  
Landon stopped the boat in the middle of the water and lit a candle on the bench in front of him. He took out a plate of pasta, and put out some silverware and two glasses of water. He then looked Shyana in he eyes and watched as she threw bread into the water for the ducks that decided to stay out late that night.  
  
Then Landon said 'I love you so much Shyana.'  
  
Quickly Shyana turned her head. 'What?'  
  
'I said I love you. I was also wondering,' he reached into his pocket and took out a small container, opened it, to show that inside it held a diamond ring.  
  
', will you marry me?'  
  
Shyana smiled knowing to herself what to do.  
  
'Landon.'  
  
'Yes?'  
  
He was grinning, thinking she was going to say yes.  
  
'I can't marry you.'  
  
Chapter 13: Just a matter of time  
  
'What? Why?'  
  
Landon lost his smile, he was as confused as ever and wondered why or how Shyana could say no to his proposal.  
  
'I can't marry you because I just realized something.'  
  
'And that would be?'  
  
'I love Zack.'  
  
Landon just nodded, devastated but understanding.  
  
'I love you too Landon, and if I didn't love Zack so much I would definitely marry you.'  
  
'I know. But I'm happy Zack finally got what he wanted the whole time, someone that truly loved him. Want me to take you home now? So you can tell him?'  
  
'Yes please.'  
  
Landon rowed back to the trattoria de brace and pulled Shyana up to the restaurant. Then he drove her over to Zack's house, and left her after a kiss good bye.  
  
Shyana rang the doorbell twice and Zack's father opened the door.  
  
'Yes dear?' he was smiling and wearing a white apron with a lobster on it, apparently from cooking dinner.  
  
'I would like to see Zack.'  
  
Zack came from the back and ran outside to see Shyana; he closed the door behind him and smiled at his dad.  
  
Shyana told him the whole deal with Landon asking her to marry him.  
  
'So you're getting married?'  
  
'No, and you know why I refused?'  
  
'Why?'  
  
'I refused because I realized something very important.'  
  
'What was so important that you wouldn't marry the one person you love?'  
  
'The important thing was that the one person I love is you!'  
  
Shyana gave him a long hard hug with her crying tears of joy. Zack was smiling and stroking her head.  
  
'So will you marry me?'  
  
Shyana pulled away and looked him in the eye, grinning.  
  
'Yes.'  
  
* *  
*  
  
Landon was walking around the trails in the woods the next morning. It was around 6:00 in the morning, and the dew was still sticking to the grass and leaves around him. He was pretty sad about Shyana rejecting him, but she loved Zack. Landon was second best.  
  
Anyways it was his best friend, and he wanted him and Shyana both happy, so he couldn't do anything against Zack. He deserved her; Landon abandoned him in his time of need, so he is the one who truthfully deserves Shyana.  
  
Landon took Zack's girlfriend and all of his friends away from him, when zack was asking them to help him with his father. . . . And they abandoned him . . . what true friend would do that?  
  
Landon didn't care where he was going, he just wrapped his jacket around him, and stuck is hands in the pockets . . . the ring was still there. Landon took it out and looked at it for a few minutes, still walking down the trail.  
  
He tripped on a large log, because he wasn't looking at where he was going. He started to fall down the hill. He was getting dizzy, and he couldn't stop falling suddenly he hit a rock on the side of his head, and was knocked unconscious, and he kept rolling until he landed on the shore beside a small stream, where he lay, teetering on the brink of death.  
  
* *  
*  
  
Shyana was on the phone with Tricia, giggling about Shyana's engagement.  
  
'See and you thought you were never going to get married until you were old and wrinkly and look at you! You're twenty one! Heck I'm twenty and don't even have a steady boyfriend. (Sigh) Well at least you have someone who truly loves you. Hey! Maybe I can hook up with Landon eh? How does that sound. You get your man I get your ex! Haha just kidding girl, don't freak out on me.' Tricia yelled over the phone. Due to the music her boyfriend had turned up on her stereo.  
  
'Very funny Tricia, I still love Landon but not as much as Zack. How does Shyana Anderson sound?'  
  
'It sound very you. Yet . . . oh hold on. Michael, can you please turn that thing down? Okay well, did you tell your parents you're engaged yet? I mean you in college and living in your apartment and all, and with your marine biology thing. Yeah maybe they'd want to know something in your love life has finally crossed the line.'  
  
'You're making me sound like I haven't had a date in fifteen years! But yes, I did tell my parents and their ecstatic about it. They got to know Thomas, you know, Zack's dad, my future father-in-law, and they like him.'  
  
'Lucky! Well I have to go now. Peace girl.'  
  
'Peace.'  
  
Shyana had been writing in her journal for the past two hours, making plans for her wedding. She was so happy she was getting married, even though it wasn't until August the next year, it was only February now.  
  
'Shyana Anderson. Shyana Belle . . . Anderson. Oh that sounds perfect.'  
  
She rolled over on her bed and looked out her window, it was a beautiful day. The sky was blue and the sun was shining brightly. Shyana no longer lived in her house in front of the pier. She now lived in a small apartment for college, but over the weekend she always went back to her house.  
  
'I think I'll go to the mall and buy some new clothes for school.'  
  
While Shyana was at the mall, Janis was getting ready for that night. She had planned it all, she was going to get Shyana to come to the pier, and then she would talk to her for a while.  
  
Distract her with something Janis would pretend to see on the beach, wait until she turned her back and shoot her. Easy but then, there was always hiding the body. Janis would throw her in the water and watch until she drifted off into the setting sun.  
  
Nothing was hard about that plan. Sure Landon and Zack would probably be very angry, but they would never know it had been Janis, and she could live her life knowing she was the only girl for them. Janis was ready, and while she waited for the time to come, she would take a walk in the woods, just to enjoy what a wonderful day it was going to be in just a matter of time.  
  
Chapter 14: The last moment  
  
Janis was walking through the woods and laughing and talking loudly about her plan.  
  
'Shyana is going to be dead! Haha cause I'm going to shoot her at the pier . . .'  
  
She blurted her whole plan out thinking no one was in the woods other than her. Landon had just woken up. He caught pieces of it. He slowly got up and ran out of the woods, limping on his leg and holding his head, which was bleeding. He needed help, but Shyana needed it more.  
  
Shyana had just finished shopping. She had taken about six hours to go shopping, buying things from new socks to a new handbag she was planning to use on her trip to the beach that weekend. Then she caught up with Zack to see some new movies', both comedies coming out, which was apparently three hours long each. So it was about two when she got back home. Zack kissed Shyana goodbye and drove back home to cook dinner for his dad.  
  
After reading a few more pages of "a walk to remember" Shyana took a long shower. She was interrupted in the middle of rinsing her hair out when she got a call from Janis on her cell phone. She wrapped her towel around hr and struggled to wipe the soap from her eyes. She combed her hair back with her fingers and opened her phone.  
  
'Hello? Shyana is this you?'  
  
'Yeah it's me. Umm, what's up?'  
  
'Oh can you meet me out at eight tonight in front of your old house in front of the pier, maybe just for a little friendly talk, you know, since we haven't been talking in a while.'  
  
'Okay sure sounds great.'  
  
'Okay. I'll talk to you later then, bye'  
  
Shyana was shivering, since she had just gotten out of a hot shower, and her heater wasn't turned up that high, since she didn't want to pay too much for the bills. She hurried and finished rinsing her hair, got dressed into her newest outfit; a pair of flower decorated blue jeans and a low white turtle neck, blow dried her hair and drove out to go to a drive through nearby. Shyana was taking her time, never knowing that she had only about an hour until death was coming by her house.  
  
Landon called Zack on his phone urgently. Zack needed to come too. Landon couldn't fight in his condition alone. Zack agreed and said he would be there. Landon was having a hard time walking and was close to blacking out again, but he didn't want Shyana to be hurt, nevertheless killed.  
  
Shyana drove to her old home. Her parents weren't there again; they had to go to a meeting about neighborhood watch. Janis was waiting there already digging through her red purse and looking at something. When Shyana drove up she looked up and smiled a big grin. Something about Janis made Shyana feel a little uncomfortable, but she got over it in a few minutes.  
  
'Let's walk down on the beach, it's a nice time to go ahead and look for some little things that my have washed up on the shore. Maybe there's some jewelry we can sell or something.'  
  
Janis was still smiling. But Shyana agreed to go down onto the beach. She loved searching for little treasures.  
  
'Look I think I see something over there. Why don't you go ahead and look?'  
  
'Umm, okay.'  
  
Shyana was bent down looking for whatever Janis was talking about. Janis slowly pulled out the gun. It was the one that Zack's father had used. And now it was going to be used to kill Shyana.  
  
She was just about ready to pull the trigger when she heard a car door slam, but didn't take notice to it, and right when she pulled the trigger, Zack jumped right in front of Shyana.  
  
It was like slow motion. Shyana turned around and when she saw Zack on the ground bleeding and shaking from the pain, she was screaming "No!!!"  
  
Even Janis was shocked. She was trying to kill Shyana so she could be with Zack, but now Zack was going to die.  
  
'Well I might as well finish was I was here for.' Janis thought. She was crying then, for Zack but she knew that she should as well kill Shyana.  
  
She held up the gun once more. But Landon jumped on her, and she accidentally shot him too. She shot him in the arm and he rolled over to the side near the rocks. She looked at Shyana crying over Zack and Landon squinting from the pain he was suffering.  
  
'I'm so sorry. . . Shyana . . .'  
  
Shyana looked up, her face was stained with tears, and Zack was breathing in small gasps. He had been shot in the stomach and bleeding severely, it was obvious he was going to die.  
  
Janis held her gun up to her head. There was one bullet left. She closed her eyes.  
  
'I'm sorry.'  
  
And she pulled the trigger.  
  
* *  
*  
  
Shyana was still crying over Zack. Landon was getting up to his feet and walked over to Shyana.  
  
Zack opened his eyes and looked at them. Between coughs he spoke his last true words.  
  
'Shyana,'  
  
Shyana leaned closer to hear him. He was speaking so softly and was turning very pale. She held his hand to her face.  
  
'Shyana, I love you with all my heart. And I know I'm not going to survive this, but at least you're okay. So I want you to always be happy, so marry Landon. He'll do you good. He truly loves you. As do I, but maybe I do just a little bit more. Never forget me Shyana. I . . . love . . . you.'  
  
Zack's hand fell from Shyana's face, as she cried harder, her tears wracking her body.  
  
'No Zack. No! Don't leave me. Don't leave me.'  
  
But Shyana knew Zack was gone, and she would never be with him again. Landon held her close, sorry that all this had to happen. The police would be coming there soon, but they were too late to save Zack. They were too late.  
  
* *  
*  
  
It was still all too much. The police came just a few minutes after everything was over. While the police slid down to meet Landon and Shyana at the bottom of the hill, Shyana cried over the pools of blood that were feeding the waves. She wouldn't stop screaming 'No! No! Don't leave me Zack! Don't leave me!' All while Landon held her close, tears streaming down his cheeks, with no sound. He was scared, and sad. He had lost his best buddy. Maybe some day's he would wish Zack wasn't there for him to compete against, so that he could have Shyana all to himself. But now that it had finally happened, he wished he was the one who had to go instead.  
  
Shyana and Landon had to watch the police as they took Zack and Janis's bodies away. Shyana didn't stop crying. Crying for Zack, he never deserved to die. She tried to believe that it wasn't true, even though she knew it was. She wanted Zack to be back at his home, reading his books and his poetry to himself. She couldn't watch it all, the blood on the sand being filtered away by the oncoming waters, the black body bags, the questioning police men, the pain. She couldn't stand the pain. Her knees weakened, and she fell on the sand. She could smell Zack's cologne still on the ground. She could remember all the times she had been with him. She could remember running on the beach, reading at the library, staying together on cold nights, watching movies and drinking hot cocoa in front of the fire.  
  
Shyana forced herself to come back from her memories. Her eyes hurt, and she felt so tired, and weak. Everything started to spin. Everything was turning a bright white. Then suddenly everything became dark, and she felt Landon trying to shake her. But everything faded away, and she blacked out.  
  
* *  
*  
  
Chapter 15: Sunset on the pier.  
  
The next time she woke up she was in a hospital room. There was a needle in her wrist, and a bag of clear liquid on a stand beside her. She tried to get up but she couldn't. Landon was sitting in a chair in front of her, fast asleep. But as soon as Shyana made the smallest noise, he was awake again.  
  
'Oh Shyana you had us all worried' He ran to her side at once.  
  
'What . . . happened?'  
  
'Oh you just blacked out . . . for about two day's'  
  
He gave her a small kiss on the head.  
  
'Try eating something. The doctor said we could take you home as soon as you woke up.'  
  
Landon fed her, helped her into the car, and drove her home. Her family was still asleep; it was about 6:25 in the morning. She ate all the food she could find. She hadn't been able to eat for the past two days she was out. Everything slowly came back to her. And she started crying again, right when she was taking the water pitcher from the fridge.  
  
Her knees started weakening again; Landon ran over to her and caught her from hitting the ground too hard. The orange water pitcher fell onto her white tiled floor and splashed all over. The water splashed onto her knees and in her eyes. Landon tried calming her down, but it wouldn't work. Through tears she told him that she would marry him. Yet she would do it later, after everything had passed. She was so mixed up right now. She couldn't handle both happiness and devastation at one time.  
  
It was hard for Shyana to go through Zack's death. It was even a harder death than Connor's was. The funeral was hard too. Shyana just couldn't stop crying, it hurt too much. She wouldn't eat or sleep anymore, Landon stayed with her the whole way of course. She had agreed to marry him, Zack was right; he was going to treat her well. Tricia came to Florida as soon as she heard and she comforted Shyana every night, telling her it was going to be okay. Shyana didn't believe it though. Zack's father came by to comfort Shyana also. That weekend Shyana went to Zack's house to clean out his room of all the stuff he had.  
  
She was cleaning out his dresser when she found a small note tied to a rose inside. The white ribbon had "Shyana" written on it in gold cursive letters, written to Shyana on the night Zack was killed.  
  
She read it aloud:  
  
"Dearest Shyana,  
I am so happy you agreed to marry me. I love you so much. We may go through hard times, and sometimes we will think to give up. But don't ever give up on the world Shyana; you have so much to look forward to. No matter what happens. Don't ever quit because you're never a failure until you fail to try. On our wedding day you know that line that says "Until death do we part"? Well they wrote that wrong. We will never part because you'll always be with me Shyana, always in my heart, and in my soul. I will love you forever.  
  
Love Forever,  
  
Zack"  
  
Shyana suddenly didn't cry. She knew she would have to go on. Instead she finished clearing out Zack's room and drove back home to the pier. She sat down and talked to the air. She was hoping maybe, that Zack was listening to her from heaven, listening to her every word.  
  
'Zack I will always love you. Landon will never be able to take your place no matter how much I love him. When I lost you, I realized that no matter how much I tried to love another person, be it Landon or Connor, no one will ever live up to you. Someday we'll be together again. Every night I'll sit on this pier and think of you, and remember what you taught me. You taught me that no matter how rough things might get, love will always overcome it because, like you, love never quits.'  
  
And Shyana threw the rose and her old locket into the water and walked away. Never to shed tears again from Zack's loss, but only to shed tears of joy. Because even though Zack's true spirit will be far away, his love for Shyana will always be in her heart, forevermore.  
  
Epilogue:  
  
Shyana returned to the pier every day. She was always smiling to herself about life. Landon stayed with her, and she became Mrs. Landon Matheson. She also became a marine biologist. Tricia moved away to do medicals in Africa for homeless children that needed food and care. Of course Landon passed away. From old age, he died. He had spent the rest of his life beside Shyana, as her husband and best friend.  
  
When Landon died Shyana was not devastated, he lived his life, and Shyana knew her day was to come soon. One day when she was older, about seventy nine a year or two after Landon died; she was walking along the beach, hugging herself. She was wearing a long silky red dress.  
  
She sat on the sand and looked at the ocean, letting the waves wash up against her feet. The next wave brought up a rose, with a small ribbon attached to it. It was a white ribbon that had the name "Shyana" written in golden cursive letters on it. Shyana was very surprised; she lay on the sand and closed her eyes. Her heart beat slowed and she could hear Zack's voice whispering 'Shyana . . . it's time.' And her young, nineteen year old spirit lifted from her aged body and danced with Zack's on the clouds.  
  
Leaving the old body of Shyana lying on the sand, with a small smile, being slowly washed away by the waves as the sun set, for the final time in Shyana's life. 


	13. Just a matter of time

Characters: Shyana McKessa Zack Anderson Landon Matheson Olivine (Tricia) Castalia Janis Arapaho Connor Branston  
  
Chapter 1: Leaving it behind  
  
The tires screeched and the red corvette heading toward us suddenly swerved. Connor tried to turn the wheel and take back his control, yet he couldn't and the car went spinning. Our car crashed into the wall of the bridge and was on the brink of falling over. I held Connor's hand, not knowing if we were going to survive and be together later someday; somehow I knew . . . it was soon to end.  
  
The car gave one last sound of giving up and fell off the side of the dark bridge, spinning over and over until we hit the water. The black and greenish water suddenly surrounded me. It was so dark and I was so scared. The front windshield broke into a thousand shattered pieces. The water was dark and it was around 11:30 pm, late that no one would be on this same bridge, but the other car to see and help us. It was a blur but I unstrapped both Connor's seatbelt and mine. With all the energy I had I swam to the shore of the large lake. I didn't want to look at Connor because I knew . . . I knew it. He was dead.  
  
'No!' I sat up and stared around me. I had been sweating from my dream and my own scream had wakened me up. My room was empty now except for a small white lamp, my mattress, and a blanket. Everything else was gone. I looked at my wrist watch. 8:30 a.m. . . . We would be leaving soon, maybe in about two hours or an hour and a half.  
  
My name is Shyana McKessa, an eighteen year old girl with a golden brown shade of wavy hair and dark brown eyes. I've lived in Washington for all my life and had been going steady with my old boyfriend, Connor Branston, for four years until the car accident. It's been hard for me since then, with the memory running through my head over and over again, the fall, Connor's pale face, and him on the shore. No breath, no pulse . . . It just made my life seem so much lonelier. I stopped my internship with a friend of my mother's. Doctor Carol, and started giving up on all my dreams. I missed Connor so dearly, and thought if his life couldn't go on; I had no reason for mine to go on either. Connor had hit his head on the wheel while I was holding his hand, and died instantly. His skin cold and clammy while he laid on the shore . . . He felt no pain when he died; I was the only one who felt the pain.  
  
It happened two months ago . . . it broke my heart to think about him being gone, and thinking about how I have to leave my home all behind, how I have to leave everything behind and go across the whole country to get to a new place.  
  
We were moving to Florida. I didn't want to leave Washington. My life belongs here, I belong here, and it's too special to just let go, with all the friends I've made, including my best friend in the whole entire world, Olivine Tricia Castalia, the girl I've known since I was four. We've been together since the diaper age and were both eighteen now and living on with our lives.and the things I've done and learned here, all the special memories I don't want to leave. But my mother's new job is going to be much better . . . and it's too late, she already accepted it. I hadn't been part of the plan though, because both my parents knew I would start a huge fight and say no without thinking the whole plan through. So they made the decisions themselves and did not tell me until it was time for us to start sending all of our stuff to the other house.  
  
Of course I made a huge fit of it. I was slamming doors all the time, turning up my radio as loud as possible just to tune out the rest of the world, and I would scream and yell. I know this is too immature for an 18 year old about to go off to college but still, everything was just so hard.  
  
I put on a pair of jeans and my white t-shirt and went downstairs in my kitchen to walk my small white and fluffy dog, Muffin. She scratched at the old wooden door at the front of the house pleading for me to let her out. I hooked her pink leash to her collar and placed my hand on the doorknob, with all the bronze paint chipping off it kind of looked like an old wall. Giving out a sigh I leaned on the door, breathing in the old lemon and pine scent from all the cleaners we had used to try and buff up that old door. This was the one door with the new hinges but old frame, with old wood and scratch marks, pink and purple nail polish marks, and nail polish remover stains up and down it, the one door that would have to be closed behind me in a few hours, closing away everything else in that old rickety house.  
  
I walked outside and breathed in the fresh air. It was a cool and crisp day. The breeze blew through my thick brown, golden hair, singing its song of serenity in my ear, as I walked along the sidewalk, waiting for my dog to finish her business.  
  
'Come on muffin . . . lets go.' I reached to my neck itching a bit, my hand instantly wrapped around the small necklace that hung there. Connor had given me a small, heart-shaped locket before he died. It was supposed to be for our four year anniversary. A picture was inside, a picture of him; I treasured both picture and locket very much. Even though I knew both were materialistic and probably wouldn't last, I knew someday I would lose them, and if I did I couldn't let myself be sad about it. Because I was supposed to know it wasn't going to last.  
  
It was all I had left of him other than my memories. When I got back into the house, everyone was awake and dressed; they had woken up as soon as I had left. My father, a medium sized man in his forties was sitting on the floor with his dark green sweat pants and gray sweatshirt, trying to tie his shoes. His curly blonde hair parted a bit on the side to cover up a bit of his bald spot. He had a waffle in his mouth, with syrup slowly sliding from one edge to the other edge of the waffle while my father rocked back and forth struggling to make his shoes fit.  
  
'I think they were lying when they said "if the shoe fits wear it" because the shoe did fit and I should be wearing it by now!'  
  
My mother, a woman of her own forties with dark brown hair and blue eyes slowly came down the stairs. She was more appropriately dressed in her dark blue jeans and shirt that said "Noah's rejects" with strangely shaped and colored animals drawn all over it. I had made that shirt in the 7th grade when I had been taking a special art class. It was six years back and I was surprised that she could find and still fit it.  
  
'I couldn't find any other shirt but this! Dear. those are my shoes.'  
  
My dad looked up and gave a syrupy grin. He tried to mumble out a few words but only succeeded in spilling some syrup on the wooden floor. He took off the shoes and rolled them to my mom while he chewed more on his waffle and went back to the box of shoes that was sitting beside him.  
  
Once my father had finally succeeded in finding his old brown leather shoes and packed the box of other shoes in the rental van, shut and locked the door, he called us out to leave.  
  
The car and u-haul were all packed and I would drive my small light green beetle with my mom and dog, while my dad would drive his car connected to the tiny u-haul with our luggage in it. My mother's car was already sold and my father's was going to be my uncle's soon and mine was going to be my cousin's. We only had small cars so nothing could fit into them, so we had to rent the u-haul. Our other stuff was already at our new house, all but some of our clothes and dog.  
  
'Take one last look at this old house you guys! The house we had lived in for the past twenty years!' my dad bellowed to us in the car behind him. 'Were off to a new start again!' and my mother agreed, smiling but did not bother to look back at the house, she was glad we were leaving, very much unlike me.  
  
We arrived at the airport where our relatives were waiting for us, giving us hugs and kisses of goodbye. My friends were either busy or at the hospital, where my best friend, Tricia, was in fact, because she had a skiing incident and was lost in a coma. We boarded the plane, and I stared out the window the whole way through. Thinking about everything I was leaving behind, and silently crying both outside and inside. My dog looked quite airsick after the whole plane ride but was fine after we got out onto the road. We had some food at one of the indoor restaurants in the airport. I didn't like the food on the plane; it tasted so strange to me, so we just got some pizza. We finished our lunch and went outside to catch a cab.  
  
My mother and father took one taxi while I took another with muffin. It took about two hours to get to the new house, leaving my dog sick again. The house was near the beach, and a small pier, not a very popular beach because it was not that large. There was a small slope from the road in front of the house, a few feet of sand and the pier, then the ocean. The house was white, with a green painted door. All new just built about a month ago. I shuddered at the sight. It was something so different from my comfortable life.  
  
I promised myself I would go to the pier later, maybe at sunset. I had no school anyways; it was just the beginning of summer vacation, and in Florida, very hot. My mother insisted I go around town after we unpacked some of our stuff, and I left some of my stuff in boxes. These were the things I was going to bring with me to college in the fall. So I unpacked the few clothes that weren't in boxes and put them away in the small dresser that had been taken out for me. Later on I walked to the library, which was only a couple of blocks away. I sat alone in the library with books surrounding me, reading my own favorite book, "A walk to remember."  
  
After an hour or so I heard a cry and I looked around hoping to see someone. Another sob came from behind one of the book shelves. I looked behind it and found a boy, maybe around the age of nineteen, crying. It's very unusual to see a boy of his age crying, but he had a very large bruise on his ribs and he was carefully touching it, for its tenderness.  
  
'Oh my goodness, are you okay?' I asked  
  
He nearly jumped off his knees but fell back down from being hit with another jolt of pain.  
  
He was squinting while he talked, I guessed it must have hurt a lot, it was as big as a frying pan, and quite the shape of it too.  
  
'I . . . no . . . I got in . . . a . . . fight.' He said.  
  
He looked up at me and I just realized how handsome he was, he had gray- blue eyes and dark brown hair. . .  
  
'I'll take care of it . . . come on. Ill take you to my house.' I took his hand and he slowly stood up.  
  
What the heck am I doing?  
  
We slowly walked to her house where I grabbed a first aid kit and some ice.  
  
'Now please lift up your shirt, I can't help you if you don't.' I said. 'I've been studying to be a doctor someday, so I know what to do.'  
  
He lifted up his shirt and Shyana gave a small gasp. There was a large diagonal scar that crossed over his chest, starting darker at the spot where he heart was. She didn't ask him about it, she just bandaged his ribs and told him to keep the ice on it. It was already sunset and they went to sit down on the pier.  
  
'So what is your name?' he asked.  
  
'Its Shyana McKessa, shya or shy for short . . . what's yours?'  
  
'It's Zack Anderson. Are you new here? I come to this pier everyday and I've never seen you before.' he turned and stared out towards the horizon.  
  
'Yea, I just came today. It's been very hard.'  
  
'It's the same here.' He said, and gently a tear rolled down his eye, she did not know if it was from his ribs, or something else.  
  
They talked about the day, and why they were in Florida. Zack was there, because his mother had wanted to be somewhere where she could stroll along the beach. Shyana of course was there because her mother had gotten a new job.  
  
He was so handsome. In the back of my head I didn't want to admit it because I thought that any idea of getting over Connor as indeed preposterous but I thought that maybe Zack and her could become friends, and maybe someday even more, and I hoped, that he thought so too. Even though I had just met him, he seemed to be sensitive. But then, I though, some boys will change after you see them on the first day. Yeah right, I thought again, probably just for first impressions. Yet what if it's not?  
  
We sat through the rest of sunset until night, when I had to go. Zack just kept looking into my eyes. but he turned away and promised to meet tomorrow at the same time. I went home... secretly thinking about him.  
  
Chapter 2- Dangerous Secrets  
  
Zack took his time to get home, he didn't want to go back but it was the only place that he had to live. It looked like any ordinary house but inside it was his personal hellhole. He took the ladder from the ground and placed it under his window. He had to be very quiet or else his father would catch him, and beat him up again. He lowly climbed the ladder and opened his window. His room was trashed, glass was scattered across the floor, but luckily there was no glass on his bed.  
  
He went inside and, with his shoes still on, he locked his door. It had 3 different locks on it so his father wouldn't be able to get inside while Zack was in there. Luckily his bed was right beside his window so if he needed to make a quick escape then he could just jump out onto the ladder and run. He closed his window and lay on his bed and thought of the pretty new girl he had met that afternoon.  
She had been nice enough to care for him, and had enough control not to ask about his scar when she saw it. Most people would want to talk about it. Unlike Zack, his mother had died about three years ago, from leukemia. And while she was undergoing treatment, Zack's father had started abusing him, blaming him for his mother's sickness.  
  
Zack cared for his father; he knew how sad he felt. They had both loved Zack's mother, she was the glue that helped them stay together, but she was gone now, and would never come back again. Somehow Zack's father believed that Zack was the cause of his mother's death. Earlier he had hit zack with the largest and heaviest thing he could find, in this case, the frying pan. Anything his father could find, he threw or hit Zack with it.  
  
A few weeks after his mother died Zack's father tried to kill him. He tried to stab him with a knife, but zack jumped sideways before it could go all the way into his heart. He only had a mille-second to jump because his father was so large, fit, fast, and strong.  
  
His girlfriend, Janis Arapaho had brought him to the hospital, lying for him about what happened, she had said he tripped at a spot where a piece of glass was hanging and it cut him. Afterwards she told him that she loved him but that she couldn't take it . . . she left him for another guy who had also helped him, his best friend Landon Matheson. Zack looked at his drawer which was covered with torn paper.  
  
That had been his second-to-last book. His old best friends, Landon and Janis had given it to him, but they left him, their fear of his dad was too strong. His very last and most favorite book was under his pillow. "A walk to remember." His mother had given it to him right before she died, and even though Zack knew his father wouldn't dare destroy that book, he still hid it from him anyway, afraid that one day his dad would not care anymore.  
  
Zack fell asleep, thinking of how Shyana looked a lot like his mother. It was strange but it gave Zack a bit of comfort when he was around Shyana, it felt like he was given another chance to be with his mother, but in this case, a girl that was just around his age. It was strange, if he ever went out with her, wouldn't it be like going out with his own mother? It was very strange but it gave Zack good dreams anyways.  
  
Zack woke up to a large bang at his door. He widened his eyes and realized it was his father. A big chunk of the door came off. Zack had overslept. Whenever he overslept, the closer he was to death. Zack's father was using a hammer, and a big baseball bat lay on the floor beside his feet.  
  
Zack grabbed his book from under his pillow and quickly opened his window. He glanced at his dad who was ready to get into his room, grinning. Zack jumped out onto the ladder and slammed his window. He slid down and knocked the ladder away from his window so that his father would not be able to get down without running all the way downstairs. His father used the baseball bat to hit the window while Zack was still looking back.  
  
The spray of glass hit him. He was scratched on his face but he was still able to run. He was bleeding a little, but still okay. He ran down the street to the pier, hoping Shyana would be there. He later decided to read while he waited. It was the 23rd time he had read this book. He stopped for a moment and looked at his watch. It was 1:17 pm.  
  
He had had a close call with his father. That is why he always had to wake up extra early in the morning and go back to sleep in the library or on the pier afterwards. He thought his dad still had a chance to be good, a slim chance, but still a chance. Zack's friends weren't able to see it and they never liked being near his father.  
  
What if Shyana doesn't like being near him either? He thought  
  
Well it wouldn't really be a loss yet. He thought she probably already had a boyfriend. He didn't know much about her yet, but he would like to. He daydreamed on the pier about Shyana so much that he didn't even notice she was standing beside him.  
  
'Hey what's' up, I thought you were supposed to come her sunset only.' She laughed a little.  
  
'Well, I thought it was a nice day to just spend some time on the pier reading.' He said  
  
She smiled.  
  
He's cute, sensitive, and smart . . . he seems perfect so far. She thought  
  
She spotted the scratches on his face  
  
'Did you get scratched by a cat or something?' she asked.  
  
'Yes . . . Yeah sure.' He thought she may be thinking that he gets hurt too much. That he could probably be bad luck or something.  
  
Shyana spotted the book beside him. 'You like a walk to remember?'  
  
He nodded 'Yeah . . . it's my favorite.'  
  
'Mine too!'  
  
Ok now he must be perfect for me! I hope he doesn't have a girlfriend though. She thought  
  
They talked about the book for a while surprised at how much they had in common. After about three hours of a walk to remember. They walked down to the nearest subway to get a bite to eat. And they were talking about a walk to remember all the way there.  
  
Chapter 3: Old friends, old memories  
  
'I'll order the cold cut trio please, a foot long cut in half with some provolone cheese . . .'  
  
Zack was ordering Shyana's food along with his, when Shyana spotted a group of kids her age staring at her and whispering to one another.  
  
'. . . also with jalapenos and some vinegar oil, Is that it Shy?'  
  
He decided to call her that. It was short, yet not the exact description of Shyana, even though she was sometimes hesitant.  
  
'Huh? Oh, yeah sure, that's great.'  
  
Zack smiled and looked around to see what Shyana had been staring at. He almost dropped the food.  
  
It was his old gang, including his old best friend, with one other person he thought he would never see again. The one person that had softened his heart then broke it.  
  
'Hey Zack, do you know them.' Shyana asked  
  
'From a while back . . . I didn't expect to see them, for a long time.'  
  
Zack didn't want to see them, but he had no choice. He had to face them.  
  
'Look, their coming over zack, maybe you can introduce me to them.'  
  
Shyana was ecstatic about meeting some of Zack's friends. She could tell Tricia all about it after she came out of her coma, if she ever did, Shyana was planning to let her come and spend some time of the summer in Florida with her.  
  
The group casually walked over. Zack was eyeing the one pretty blonde girl in the middle and the boy walking next to her.  
  
'Hey, what's up Zack? Long time man, a year?' said one of the boys.  
  
'Yeah oh um, this is my new . . . uh friend umm. . . Shyana, she just moved here.' Zack didn't seem too happy about Shyana meeting his friends.  
  
'Zack . . .' the blonde girl walked up to him.  
  
'Janis . . . it's been such a long time.' Zack looked in to her eyes. Shyana watched, her heart started to break, she hoped it wasn't what she thought it was and it wasn't who she thought it was.  
  
The group quieted down, everyone watching Zack and Janis Arapaho, holding each other, not caring what the world was about to see.  
  
'Yeah. . . I've missed you so much, there hasn't been a minute since that blissful day that I haven't thought about you, and what . . . could have been.' Tears streamed down Janis's cheeks and Zack held her close to him.  
  
'No Janis, don't cry . . . I'm here . . . I'm here now.'  
  
Janis lifted her head and kissed Zack. Zack opened his eyes just in time to see Shyana run out of the building.  
  
* * * Later on, after saying to Janis that he would meet her at the pier he had a meeting with his old friends, talking over their subs. Shyana's half of the sandwich sat alone, at the other side of the table, because she had left, Zack decided to eat it himself.  
  
'So Zack, who was that girl, a new girlfriend I suppose?'  
  
His old friends laughed, but Zack didn't. Shyana seemed very hurt about him kissing Janis. Maybe she did like him a lot.  
  
'Oh come on Zack, she's just a girl? Not like your ever going to marry her right?' Zack's friend Chris said.  
  
'Yeah I guess your right Chris, but I still feel awful.'  
  
'Well I have a date with my girl guys, I'll see you later.' Chris jumped up and ran out the door with a big grin on his face.  
  
'It's good to have you back Zack. I never thought I would see you again.'  
  
'Yeah Landon, it's nice to be back with my best friend. But your style changed man.'  
  
Zack looked at Landon. He was wearing a white t-shirt and a blue polo shirt with some dark baggy jeans. And he had dyed his hair blonde from his old dark brown.  
  
'Yeah well I guess I look better now. Ha. Well I have to go too. I'll see you man.'  
  
They did heir special handshake and went off in separate directions. Zack felt bad, but he was happy to have his friends behind him all the way.  
  
* *  
* 'He has a girlfriend you idiot! How could you not have seen it?! If he's such a perfect guy how could he not have been taken?' Shyana yelled at herself about it all the way until she reached her house.  
  
'Hi sweetie how was you're . . .'  
  
Shyana ran up to her room and cut her mother off with the slam of her door. . .  
  
'Okay then . . .'  
And her mother went back to cooking.  
  
Shyana lay on her bed cried. She knew she was being a real baby crying over some guy she only knew for three days. Yet she had been so relieved that she had found someone new after Connor that it felt so bad to be lost again. She opened her bedside drawer and took out a picture of Connor.  
  
'Why did you have to leave me? Can you see what I have to go through now? I thought we were supposed to be together forever!'  
  
She held the picture close, her tears falling to her bed. She cried until she was all cried out, wishing her pain would end.  
  
'Together forever . . .' as her voice faded and her eyes closed, she gazed out her window at the pier where two figures of Zack and Janis stood, hand in hand talking. And Shyana fell asleep, the car crash scene replaying in her mind, but not letting her awake. She was stuck inside the worse moment of her life until the sun set.  
  
* *  
*  
  
'Zack . . . It's been so long, and I can't believe your still here.'  
  
Janis looked at Zack deeply.  
  
'I've missed you and having Landon instead wasn't the same. It was never the same after you were gone Zack . . . never.'  
  
Zack didn't know what to do, there was Shyana and then there was Janis. Who would he choose?  
  
'Janis, it has been long and . . . and things have changed.'  
  
Zack's father hadn't changed but his love life had, he had to tell Janis about Shyana.  
  
'Your father has stopped hurting you? That's great news Zack!'  
  
Janis smiled. Sincerely happy that she had Zack back, and that everything would be alright, she had no idea he was talking about something else.  
  
'This is great! Now we can live happily!'  
  
Before zack could say something Janis took him and kissed him, as the sun set.  
  
'I have to go now, I love you zack. I'll see you later ok?'  
  
'But . . . but . . .'  
  
Janis walked away and Zack was left on the pier. He looked at Shyana's room window. It was dark, and Zack didn't feel like knocking at her door.  
  
'You only knew her for three days man. She won't care, or she'll get over it.'  
  
Zack told himself. But he couldn't help but think that even if she might not care, he might care more.  
  
Chapter 4: Rain Drops  
  
Shyana woke late at night, from the rain drops on her window. She put on her coat and grabbed her umbrella; she needed to have a walk.  
  
She waked through the storm, the wind constantly reminding her that she was alone. She walked until she got to the bus stop. She had no where to go, and she had no money. She couldn't go anywhere. She sat there, as the bus came.  
  
'Come on lady are you getting on or not.' The bus driver yelled  
  
She shook her head, the rain drops mixing with her tears. She thought about what had happened. Zack had a girlfriend, and he didn't even care that Shyana was there when he kissed Janis. Shyana felt so alone, she felt as though the world around her was trying to torture her in anyway it could. Her umbrella, still open was blown away by the wind.  
  
'Ugh! What the hell is going on? Can't you see me god! Do you see how much pain I'm suffering? Do you give me even a piece of sympathy? My world is coming to an end and nothing is giving me a sign of hope, at least you could!'  
  
She yelled to the sky. Her makeup was smearing, but she didn't care, she didn't care if anyone saw her. The rain strengthened, and she was being soaked. Her t-shirt was so wet that it made her body visible, sticking to her skin.  
  
She fell on her knees, and cupped her face in her hands.  
  
'It's all coming to an end. Can I just die here? Please just let me die here.'  
  
Her memory came back to her. This is how Connor and Shyana met. It was a rainy night, and she had missed the bus because she had been chasing after her umbrella. Her clothes had been soaked, and Connor, as a stranger to her, came to help her. He shared his umbrella with her and walked her to the nearest restaurant, a subway. After that they had been meeting each other, and one day had started to go steady. Four years later he had brought her to a fancy French restaurant; Fervoi' voe lai'e. He gave her the locket and a single rose that night. The rose was as red as her dress, and the golden locket matched it perfectly.  
  
They had left the restaurant, and it was raining as bad as it is now. Connor shared that same umbrella as he did on the day they met. They had no clue that everything was going to end in just a few minutes.  
  
'We didn't know . . . that we would be separated from then on.' Shyana said. Lost in her thoughts; not aware that Zack's friend was walking towards her.  
  
They had been driving on the road, with the rain making it so hard to see. They were driving on the bridge and they saw headlights coming toward them. The car coming towards them was red. That was how close it got, so that Shyana was able to see its hood. The tires on our car screeched, and the red car turned. Connor lost control, the car went flying over the side of the bridge, plummeting to the dark waters below.  
  
She was on the shore afterwards, remembering swimming there. She didn't want to look at Connor . . . she knew at the time he was dead, but it hadn't sunk in yet. Then she blacked out. She awoke in a hospital bed. Her head was wrapped in a bandage, and it was throbbing, but she took no notice. The only think on her mind was Connor.  
  
She had screamed at the doctors to tell her where he was and if he was okay. They just tried to get her to lie down again. But she jumped up and ran out of the room, slipping on her wet shoes. The dye from her dress was seeping down her legs like blood. She ran into each room, searching for Connor's. She finally found it. She ran in and looked at the doctors faces, they too shook their heads. She looked at the heart monitor. It read dead. Connor was really dead. She ran to his side, held his head close to hers. She whispered that she loved him over and over again, but he never said anything back, she knew he wouldn't, that he couldn't.  
  
'Shyana, is that you?' Zack's friend asked  
  
She nodded.  
  
'Come on, you have to get out of this rain, I'll bring you home ok? Come on, oh and my name is Landon Matheson.'  
  
'Thank you Landon . . . Thank you.' Shyana walked with him in the storm. Her body was shaking, not from the cold rain against her body, but from the pain in her heart.  
  
Chapter 5: A best friend's comfort  
  
Shyana went with Landon over to her house when the rain stopped. Her face felt swollen and her eyes still burned, her clothes were soaking wet, and her make up was smearing.  
  
'Why were you out there in the rain this late? I mean it's like 11:00 pm now.' Landon was trying to comfort her, still not knowing exactly why she was crying in the first place.  
  
'Its nothing . . . I just feel really sad. Everything in my life is going wrong.' She didn't feel like talking about it, she was tired and the night was getting colder, so she was very vulnerable for a cold.  
  
'You don't have to tell me. You don't even know me so I doubt you would. But still, does this have anything to do about Zack kissing Janis? Because you ran straight out of the building as fast as a torpedo when Zack kissed Janis.'  
  
Shyana could see Landon's eyes searching for a sign on her face. She didn't want to show that Zack was her weakness; she didn't want to show that she wasn't as strong as she promised herself she would be.  
  
'I really don't want to talk about it, and I'm really tired. I guess I just need to sleep on it for a while, but thank you for everything Landon.'  
  
'No problem really, but I would like to know what was wrong. So can we meet up again, it doesn't have to be today, but I'd like to help you with whatever it is.'  
  
'Sure Landon, no problem there neither. Also, I don't think it could be today so, maybe tomorrow or something. I wasn't planning on talking to any of Zack's friends so, well umm . . . I'm . . . uh, busy now so, maybe . . . maybe later.'  
  
'Oh ok, I can call you up or you can call me. Because after you tell me what's wrong, if it's what I think it is we can help each other out ok?'  
  
'Okay.'  
  
We swapped phone numbers and went out separate paths. I went in my house up to my room, trying to be as quiet as I could be. Even if I lost Zack, maybe I have a chance with Landon.  
  
'What am I thinking?'  
  
Shyana thought  
  
'No . . . I can't do that. I mean their friends, and well if there is any chance that Zack may like me, I still have a chance. And it wouldn't be right to go out with his friend anyways.'  
  
Shyana wrote down Landon's phone number as she remembered it, changed her clothes, and jumped into her bed. She covered her face with her pillow and breathed in the smell of her shampoo. She tried to take her mind off of everything else by focusing on that smell.  
  
They were those beautiful, sweet and wonderful roses. Her shampoo smelled like roses. Even though it was supposed to smell like pine, it smelled like roses. That's what helped her fall asleep, feeling like she was lost into a garden of roses.  
  
And she slept a dreamless sleep.  
  
* * *  
  
Zack sat underneath the tree. He wasn't going to go home anymore. He was going to stay in the woods. He was so scared; he didn't feel there was even any chance of being safe anymore. His father was probably trashing up his room again. He sat there under the tree in the rain. He listened to the sounds around him, hearing nothing but the rain drops. So he fell asleep under the tree, getting soaking wet, with nothing but his backpack and book. Wondering what the future will bring him, life or death.  
  
* * *  
  
When Shyana woke up she went straight to her kitchen, because for her being sad brought hunger. So she headed for the fridge when she noticed a small note and a letter on the table top. On the note she read:  
  
"Shyana, your dad and I went to go get some food, the fridge is empty but I left some waffles for you. Don't forget to feed muffin, she hasn't eaten yet. Oh and the letter is from Tricia, I hope she's ok. Love you!  
-Mom"  
  
'Tricia?' Shyana was so happy her best friend had gotten out of her coma, now she could visit her in Florida. She tore open the envelope and quickly pulled out the letter. She read:  
  
"Dear Shyana,  
What's up girl? I haven't heard from you in a long time. Well I probably wouldn't have been able to anyways, have been in a coma and all. My goodness! I can't believe you already moved! Are there any cute boys there? My mom said I could visit in a few weeks, after all this stupid recovering junk, I mean I feel just fine! The doctors are so overprotective. Ok well I hope you're ready to have me come back into your life! We can go to Disney world! Ha! Well write back ok? I have to eat now, ewe, apple sauce, and people I am not a senior citizen! I am a perfectly fine (and beautiful) 18 year old girl! Get a grip! Lylas girl!  
-Trish"  
  
'Yes! Tricia is coming! I have to get ready!'  
  
Shyana hurried to pull her clothes on while her waffle was toasting, she fed the dog and ate the waffle on her way to the post office. Her family didn't buy any stamps and envelopes yet, so she had to buy some new ones. And as Shyana wrote her letter to Tricia she thought that this way she wouldn't feel so alone with Tricia by her side.  
  
* *  
*  
  
While Shyana was at home sleeping, and Zack sitting under the tree, getting rest, but no sleep Landon was at his house writing in his journal.  
  
Tuesday morning, July 14, 2003  
  
'Yesterday I met this new girl who moved to Florida and had become Zack's friend. She's really pretty and I think she has a "thing" for Zack. Earlier she saw Zack and Janis kissing and she ran out of the building when she saw it. I saw her earlier this morning, she had been out all night in the cold rain crying about something, but she wouldn't tell me what. So I took her to her house and we gave each other our phone numbers. I hope to see her alter on or to get a phone call from her. Oh and Janis got back with Zack, so I guess I'm free again. Its not too bad, Janis and I never really got along like how Zack and her did, she always talked about him and wondered how he was, she never actually thought about her current boyfriend, me, who is now her ex. Oh well, never dwell on the past right?  
-Landon'  
  
Landon finished writing in his journal and went outside to play with his dog, Rascal, a golden retriever. They played Frisbee for a while and once Landon was so lost in thought that he forgot to throw the Frisbee and was knocked over by Rascal.  
  
He decided to call her later on after he had some lunch it was just 11:13 am and he thought that maybe Shyana needed some more sleep than just that. She had wasted a lot of energy crying outside, and probably didn't feel the need to be bothered.  
  
So Landon went on to talk to his mother, who was in her office doing her work. She was a work at home mother. The walls of her office were covered in all the football trophies Landon won during the school year. He was the teams lead player. She was wearing her lamb pajama pants and she was wearing her work shirt for a top with a tie and speaking to her computer.  
  
'Now listen to me James the profit need to go higher by twenty percent and no buts about it! Do you understand?'  
  
'Yes Mrs. Matheson, boss.' The man on the computer replied.  
  
'Ok good, now its time for my break I'll talk to you later James.' And Mrs. Matheson turned off the computer.  
  
She turned on her chair to face Landon and took a sip of her coffee.  
  
'Yes dear? What do you need?' She placed her coffee back on its electric heater, and took her stress ball in hand and started squeezing it furiously.  
  
'Well I don't know, just wanted to talk. I've been feeling like a need to go somewhere new all of a sudden.  
  
'Well here is twenty dollars, now make sure its something good ok? Maybe you can buy something for me or Janis of course.' His mother emphasized when she mentioned herself, wanting Landon to always buy her something when she had enough money to buy a whole shop of Victoria's secret.  
  
'Well Janis and I broke up, don't ask ok? Thanks for the money, I'll be back later, but I am going to buy something for some don't worry.'  
  
And with that Landon ran out of the room and grabbed his car keys and jacket, leaving his mother with her mouth half open, getting ready to question about Janis. So she closed her mouth with a snap and turned her computer back on, typing about something for a new sale of the diamond industry.  
  
Chapter 6: Changes  
  
Shyana was thinking about putting a no trespassing sign on the pier. Her family owned the property now and that included the pier so no one should be there anyways and anyhow, also she didn't want to see Zack ever again after how he broke her heart.  
  
He knew she liked him! And he seemed to make her think he liked her too, she didn't want to see him, she wished she had never met him. So she grabbed a piece of paper from her printer and wrote with a large permanent marker "No Trespassing!!!" and at the bottom, "Beware of Dog!" even though she knew muffin was way too small to chew or attack anyone, but at least it sounded dangerous.  
  
She received a phone call later on in the day; it was Landon asking if she wanted to go on a little trip while she was free. She said she would love to, so she left a note on the table saying she was going to be out for the rest of the evening.  
  
So Landon picked her up at around one and off they went in his little BMW convertible.  
  
'I plan to bring us to this cute little restaurant somewhere down Florida nearer to the waters. I love going there, the have the most marvelous Venetian foods and they have a beautiful view; it makes you feel like you're actually in Venice.'  
  
Landon said to Shyana while they were on the road passing a bunch of signs that indicated what the speed limit was. 'I love Venetian food! But how long will it take us to get there?'  
  
She looked out the side and watched as the car sped by the road lines, making them seem as if they were moving.  
  
'Not too long, I'm sure you'll love it there, it's a French name for the restaurant even though they mostly make the Venetian foods that I'm sure you'll love.'  
  
They kept the conversation going while Shyana kept asking him questions about what it was like and how expensive the food would be and how he could afford it. Landon would just wave his hand and say  
  
'My mother is the boss of a large diamond business and she makes great sales, my credit card is half forwarded to her bank and so are my checks so I don't have to worry.'  
  
And Shyana was impressed about everything he had. The money, the charm and all the awards he said he had earned how he played the electric guitar and all the confidence he had also the knowledge of where the best places in Florida were.  
  
Maybe it wasn't too much of a loss from Zack; he wasn't too much to worry about, even though he did seem more sensitive than Landon.  
  
When they finally stopped driving it was at this dirty old parking lot that seemed to not have been redone for a long time. There were weeds growing out of the concrete and a lot of trash lying around. Landon locked up his car and pulled the hood back on.  
  
'Okay look, now I know it doesn't look that great right now but just wait.'  
  
Before Landon had picked Shyana up, she had changed into a red spring skirt that she thought would be safe and comfortable, but now that Landon was leading her through the bushes that lined the parking lot, she started to think twice as some of these bushes had thorns on then and pointed leaves.  
  
'Here, these bushes are going to start to get worse, let me carry you.'  
  
Before Shyana could object, Landon had picked her up. It seemed to him that she was very light, yet Shyana was turning almost as pink as her dress from the embarrassment of having to be carried to get somewhere when she was perfectly capable.  
  
At last they reached the end of the bushed and Landon placed Shyana back on the ground. Shyana was shocked at what she was seeing. It was a small restaurant called 'trattoria da brace'. It had a small table with two chairs and a small vase with some flowers in it. Shyana's mouth had dropped open as she looked around some more. The restaurant seemed to glow golden in the sunlight. And beyond the little gate at the end of the concrete was the ocean, where sail boats were sailing and ducks were swimming. The restaurant was covered in flowered vines and little red flowers in the windows. It had little red and white striped curtains on the inside and out pat the ocean were little houses and beyond that a bunch of green. It looked so much like Italy.  
  
'It's strange isn't it, first were in Florida, at a French restaurant that looks like it's from Italy that cooks Venetian food. Ha! It's so nice though, what do you think?' Landon looked at Shyana, with her mouth still open.  
  
'I think its beautiful Landon! Where did you ever find a restaurant like this?'  
  
She was still looking around, obviously in awe at what she was seeing.  
  
'Actually, I work here.'  
  
Shyana quickly turned to look at him.  
  
'No. You're kidding right?'  
  
'No. I'm not kidding at all I do work here. It's a wonderful restaurant and the people here are friendly, you know, you can work here too if you like. You can be a waitress, would you like that?'  
  
Shyana nodded her head enthusiastically. She wanted to stay everyday here but she still wondered how much he got paid.  
  
They had a wonderful dinner outside at the small table and Shyana insisted on talking about Landon. He impressed her so much. After that one of the workers at the restaurant started to play a beautiful song on his violin.  
  
'Would you care to dance?' Landon asked  
  
'I'd love to.' Shyana replied  
  
And Landon and Shyana danced as a flock of geese flew overhead, and the waves gently rocked against the small wooden boat on the side of the concrete below the restaurant.  
  
* *  
*  
  
While Shyana had been away, Zack had made his way over to his house. He knocked and rang the doorbell over and over and waited very long until at around 7:00 pm Shyana's parent's came home. They told him that maybe she was out and he should go home, but he said he had something important to show her and waited until around nine for her to come home. She then finally did.  
  
He saw Landon's BMW pull up into her driveway so he walked up to it and saw Shyana inside laughing about something with Landon.  
  
'Hey Landon, what's up?'  
  
Shyana looked at him for only a second and made an angry face then turned away.  
  
'Oh Zack, I was just taking Shyana to dinner for a little while, don't worry, I helped her get a new job, well I have to go okay?'  
  
And Landon quickly pulled out and drove away without Zack saying anymore. Shyana was slowly walking towards her door, so Zack ran up to her.  
  
'Shyana what is wrong with you?!'  
Shyana quickly turned around and almost knocked Zack over with her speed, she was definitely angry.  
  
'What's my problem? What's your problem?!' She started to turn around but Zack grabbed her by the arm.  
  
'Get off of me!'  
  
'Shyana I just want you to be happy!'  
  
Shyana was almost to her door she opened it and stepped inside 'If you want to make me happy then there is one simple thing that you can do for me.'  
  
'I'll do anything.'  
  
'Leave.'  
  
And she shut the door in his face. He stood there alone for the next five minutes thinking about what had just happened. He didn't want to believe it. He really did like her and wanted to get to know her better. I'm coming back tomorrow then, he thought, whether she likes it or not.  
  
Chapter 7: Fish kisses  
  
Shyana started her new job one day later; she enjoyed working at such a beautiful place and appreciated the help that Landon was giving her. He was very careful with his words and actions and she started to like him a lot.  
  
One day she was sweeping the outside of the store when Landon rushed outside and asked her if she wanted to go for a little boat ride. She said yes, thinking it would be on a large boat, motorized or being rowed by another person, but she was wrong. He climbed over the little fence beside the restaurant and jumped over the side into the little wooden boat.  
  
'Come on!' he yelled.  
  
'Landon are you sure this is safe? I mean I've just been working here for a week and I don't want to get fired, plus the boat reeks of fish.' She noticed that there was some stuff lying inside the boat there was a net inside and a small cooler.  
  
'We won't get in trouble, the boss wants me to catch some fish, and he says that you can help so you can learn how to do this when I'm promoted to being head frying man.'  
  
Shyana gave a small smile and tied her brown hair up into a ponytail.  
  
'Will you catch me if I fall?'  
  
He ran his hand through his sun-streaked blonde hair and thought for a second. Well might as well give it a try man he thought to himself.  
  
'I'm only going to catch you if you're falling for me!'  
  
Shyana smiled and said  
  
'Of course I am!'  
  
So she climbed on the fence and let herself fall. Landon caught her just in time and held her for a second. He wanted to kiss her so bad, and she did say she was falling for him, but instead he held himself back, he didn't want her to think of him as someone who wanted to make a real steady relationship fast.  
  
Shyana looked into his eyes; she wanted to be held him forever. Now she was happy she knew Zack because if Shyana had never known Zack then she would have never met Landon. He twisted her ponytail with his fingers then turned away. Ok I'm going to have to row us out there so you'd better get comfy, if it's possible. He smiled at her and she sat down, looking at the water, it looked murky and she was glad she had jumped into the boat and not made a mistake of falling into the water.  
  
She tried to feel comfortable but the wood on the boat seemed to creak at her every move. Landon untied the boat from the hook it was tied to and took the oars and paddled out into the sea. Once they were somewhat in the middle of it all and the water wasn't as murky, Landon started hooking the net to the side of the boat.  
  
'Want to do this part while I get the bait ready?'  
  
He stopped hooking the net and held it up to her.  
  
'Ok but, why do you need bait if your using a net?'  
  
He turned around and grabbed something from the cooler.  
  
'Because why would the fish come up to the net in the first place if they didn't have anything to come up there for?'  
  
He opened the jar he was holding and Shyana realized it was full of chunks of fish meat.  
  
'I thought fish ate worms.'  
  
He looked at her in a funny way and said:  
  
'You've never been fishing have you?'  
  
'Nope I have never been fishing before, my dad isn't the fishing type, and he's more of the house cleaning kind of guy. Mom makes the money and dad cleans the house, but works part time at the grocery shop.'  
  
'Ok well, the bigger fish prefer the taste of meat, so the bigger the fish the better right?'  
  
She nodded her head and started hooking the net to the little hooks on the side of the boat.  
  
Landon threw the meat onto the little pouches in the net. So that's where it goes, Shyana thought.  
  
'And now we just wait for a while.'  
  
'And you get paid for this?'  
  
'Yeah, and your being paid too, isn't it neat?'  
  
He took out two sandwiches from the cooler.  
  
'This is also used as bait. Tuna fish sandwiches, fish love them, I hate them.'  
  
So he threw pieces of the sandwich into the pouches with the meat.  
  
'So . . . my friend Tricia is coming over next week, do you think she could hang with us for a little while? She's only visiting for a little while and she just came out of a coma so what do you think?'  
  
'Sure she can come, but do you promise that once in a while we could still have a day alone? You know just you and me hanging?'  
  
Shyana seemed lost for a second. Does this mean he wants to be alone with me because he likes me or just because he thinks having Tricia over all the time would be annoying? She didn't want to disagree with Landon so she said okay.  
  
Landon turned his head from the water and walked over to Shyana's side of the boat and sat down next to her.  
  
Okay don't think just do, Landon thought. So he pretended to snore and laid his head on Shyana's lap.  
  
She smiled at him and glanced at the net. Some fishes were starting to bite at the meat. She looked back down at Landon, who had closed his eyes and started to make snoring sounds.  
  
She started to laugh and he opened his eyes.  
  
He didn't say a word or make a face; he lifted himself up on his elbows and leaned in to kiss her. Shyana thought she would never feel this happy again. Neither of them stopped and suddenly Shyana fell off her seat and onto the floor of the boat, but neither of them pulled away until they heard the sound of at least a hundred fish flapping in the water. That's when they looked up. Landon started laughing.  
  
'Today must be my lucky day.' Then he went back to kissing Shyana.  
  
Once they had stopped and went back to the restaurant, then given the fish to their boss; who was very pleased indeed, they were a mess.  
  
Their boss, Mr.Perrar, let them off an hour early. Shyana was very glad because she didn't want her family to see her like this messy. So she rode home with Landon before her parents were able to go home.  
  
When she reached her house and gotten out of the car, Landon walked her to her door and gave her a little present.  
  
'I bought this for you the other day, I hope you like it.'  
  
He took out a small bag from his pocket and emptied it into his hand. It was a small ID bracelet.  
  
'I love it.'  
  
Shyana put it on and gave Landon one more long kiss. Then she went inside and leaned against the door. What a wondrous day she thought. Then she rushed upstairs to her room to take a long shower, because she still smelled like fish.  
  
* *  
*  
  
Landon had seen it all, he had been hiding behind a tree and watched Shyana kiss Landon. He felt so sad, but he couldn't let that stop him from liking Shyana. Janis had been angry at him earlier from smelling like moss and not paying attention to her and argued about him always talking about Shyana and how nice she was she said he was acting really fishy. He had to go home later on and his father threw a chair at him, so he had to stay with Janis in her room for a while. Her room was a trailer since she had so many siblings and wanted some room of her own, so Zack planned to stay there for a while. He had picked up his clothes from his house. Janis wanted him to be in love with her, but he wanted Shyana. And he wouldn't settle for anything less.  
  
Chapter 8- Just visiting  
  
Shyana could barely contain her excitement. She and Landon had driven to the airport to pick up Tricia and her plane was to be landing soon. Shyana was screeching with happiness when she saw Tricia walk out of the corridor. Tricia looked around and looked as if she couldn't see Shyana.  
  
'Trish! Over here!' Tricia turned around and saw her.  
  
'Dang girl, you look so different! Did you lose a couple, what, twenty thirty pounds?'  
  
'Very funny Trish, this is my boyfriend, landon. Landon, this is my best friend Tricia Castalia.'  
  
'Actually my real name is Olivine but I prefer Tricia.'  
  
'It's my pleasure to meet you.'  
  
Landon was kind of jealous that Shyana was so excited about spending time with Tricia that she almost forgot about Landon. But since he wanted her to be happy he just let it go. He never did understand why when girls were usually together, they forget about the boy's that came with them.  
  
Then Shyana turned to him. She looked at him into his eyes deeply and took his collar and pulled him close to her as she leaned over.  
  
'Would you. . .'  
  
'Would I what?'  
  
'Would you like some . . . Ice cream?!'  
  
She started laughing and Landon just smiled, no matter how much Landon insisted to pay for the ice cream for them, Shyana still paid. She bought one small ice cream for Tricia and an extra large for Landon.  
  
'Where's yours?'  
  
'I wanted to share with you.'  
  
So they ate their ice cream as they talked and talked about what had happened over the time that they haven't seen each other, but Shyana didn't mention Zack, she wanted to try and forget all about him. Yet all of a sudden Tricia asked. Shyana had told hr what had happened in one of her previous letters.  
  
'So does he still hang with you guys?'  
  
Shyana shook her head no.  
  
'He has other things to do.'  
  
So they sat in silence while they drove back to the house. When they got there Tricia said that Landon and Shyana could go ahead and go have dinner somewhere while she got her rest, she was supposed to have a two hour nap every day at that time to help her head.  
  
So while Shyana and Landon had a fun time out at the trattoria da brace' Tricia was awakened by a loud knock on the door. Shyana's mother was off at work and her father out on his military duties. So she had to wake up and go to the door. There stood a thin, but muscular, young boy, about her age, 18 or 19. He looked at her and said:  
  
'Is Shyana home?'  
  
Tricia looked at him and realized that he must be zack.  
  
'I'm sorry she's uh . . . she's out somewhere what do you need?  
  
'I wanted to talk.'  
  
'You can talk to me, my name is Tricia, and you must be Zack.'  
  
'Yeah, I am.'  
  
So Zack told Tricia all about his feelings for Shyana and what he wanted to tell her. He wanted to tell her that he needed help. That his father was abusive, and his girlfriend (Janis) wasn't a help because she wouldn't listen to him. Tricia listened, and showed emotions like In the movies. Tricia would give gasps, sighs, and expressions on her face. Tricia told Zack that she would tell Shyana all about it, and that she would try to help anyway that she could. Zack told her he doubted anyone could do anything about it. Only Shyana could. Somehow zack knew that her love and her beauty of his mother could help his father, be more than just the evil person he was.  
  
'I know your just visiting and I'm sorry to have to get you in the middle of this all but well . . . I just need some one to tell.' Zack was kind of embarrassed that he had told a total stranger all about his private life. But Tricia didn't mind at all. She promised to tell Shyana everything. Zack gave her Janis's cell phone number, which Janis had let zack have. Zack went back to Janis's trailer and went to sleep, hoping that Shyana would forgive him.  
  
When Shyana came home, Tricia was waiting outside with a solemn expression on her face.  
  
'We need to talk' she said, as she pulled Shyana in the house and closed the door.  
  
Chapter 9: It can be better  
  
'Look, Zack was here a little while ago.'  
  
Shyana looked up from her ID bracelet.  
  
'Should I really care?'  
  
He didn't mean anything to her anymore. They were no longer friends, just acquaintances.  
  
'Sit down Shyana this is very important. He's being hurt badly. He was bruised and scratched and well, just hurt when he came over.'  
  
Shyana sat down. She thought he might have gotten into trouble and gotten beaten up again or something. She didn't have any business in his business anyways.  
  
Tricia took hold of hr by her shoulders and shook her.  
  
'He's being abused by his father and it gets worse every time he goes near that house. Zack says maybe you can help. You look a lot like his mother, he told me so.'  
  
Shyana finally looked into her eyes.  
  
'Really Trish, How would that ever help? I mean sure I may look like his mother, but just because I look like someone in his house doesn't mean that his family is going to take favor in me.'  
  
'Shyana Belle McKessa, listen to me. His mother died of cancer, his father blames Zack. This is what is triggering the anger in him. And he takes it out on what he thinks is the cause, namely Zack. And Zack cares for his father a lot but, well, he's also afraid of him. He said he never meant to hurt you, and he still likes you a lot. He wants you to help him. He wants to meet you at the pier tomorrow. He wants to invite you to dinner, yet he wants me to come for protection.'  
  
Shyana had to smile at this. Tricia may have been perky and fashionable, like her but she was not the fighter type. She even said herself that she couldn't kill a dead fly. So Shyana agreed. Sure she was kind of scared about the part that Zack actually thought of protection needing to be there. Maybe he was joking. His father wouldn't hurt a stranger, or would he? Shyana knew nothing of Zack's father; she hadn't even known that his mother died.  
  
The next day came. Landon called asking if Shyana would like to go out to the zoo with Trish to come and feed the dolphins. His friend worked there so that they could come over anytime they wanted to. But Shyana had also promised to meet zack at the pier and she always kept her promises.  
  
It was five thirty when Shyana saw him. She had dressed nicely so she looked respectful. Tricia was a little suspicious so she brought some pepper spray. She also brought some for Shyana.  
  
'I hoped you would be here.' Zack smiled a bit. There was a slight quiver in Zack's voice, as if he were scared or something.  
  
Shyana looked at Tricia. She nodded and they followed Zack as he walked down the street.  
  
When they got to the house it looked very ordinary, as if nothing bad could have been happening inside. But there was a ladder that had been knocked down near a broken window on the left side of the cream house. The window sides were a reddish color and the curtains were white, it was a beautiful house actually. Yet the front lawn was unkempt and the rose bushes were overgrowing onto the front steps of the house.  
  
'Hey Zack,' Shyana asked  
  
He looked at her questioningly  
  
'Is this going to be one of those long-term sorts of things?' Zack looked at her then at the house.  
  
'It probably will be.'  
  
Then he walked up to the house and looked at the doorbell. It was busted, apparently punched to the end of its function. So Zack took the gold painted locker on the front of the red door and knocked three loud times.  
  
A grandfather clock from inside ringed that it was six o' clock already. The doorknob turned and the door opened, there stood Zack's father, the one who caused pain for Zack, and the one who forced Zack to go and live elsewhere, Mr. Anderson himself.  
  
Chapter 10: First Bloodshed  
  
Shyana was surprised. From what she had thought of an abusing father to be Mr. Anderson definitely didn't fit the part. He had a black suit and tie and his hair was combed back neatly. Not bald, no tattoo's or anything that showed there could be something wrong with him or his mind. When Mr. Anderson had first looked at Shyana he smiled a little and his eyes sparkled, then he turned to Zack and he suddenly lost his happiness.  
  
'What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be somewhere else Zack? Somewhere else hurting people?'  
  
Zack was the one who looked hurt when his father said this, and Shyana felt pretty sorry for him so she cut in.  
  
'Oh Mr. Anderson, my name is Shyana McKessa and this is my friend Tricia Castalia. We were here to cook some dinner for you. Zack was wondering if we wanted to go out and eat but we said we could just cook for you and him.'  
  
Mr. Anderson turned towards Zack, who had looked pretty surprised.  
  
'Okay, come on in. I can help make it with you, I'm very good at cooking and you can just call me Thomas.'  
  
The three of them walked into the house. It was fairly clean except for the cobwebs and dusts everywhere. It seemed as if the house hadn't had a good dusting in a while.  
  
'Did Zack tell you he was having trouble here?'  
  
Before Shyana could answer Mr. Anderson, or Thomas, Zack told him he had told Shyana everything about what his father did and why. He told him it was because she might be able to help them. Zack's father of course was not pleased. They had an argument for a little while then Tricia sprayed a little bit of pepper spray in the air which got both of their attentions.  
  
'Both of you stop it,' she said  
  
'You're acting like five year old's. We should be talking about this more calm and civilized than you are. Stop bickering so Shyana and I can cook the food while you two just tell us how you feel about each other.'  
  
It took a while, but while Shyana and Tricia were making the spaghetti and chicken Alfredo, Thomas and Zack talked over everything that was going on in their hearts. There was much Drama and sometimes even crying. It was a funny scene without the subject. Two girls cooking chicken pasta while two strong men were sitting at the dinner table weeping. They ate while they talked and Zack went to Janis's house for the night afterwards. Shyana and Tricia would have to come back again soon to help with more of the arguments, but they were getting somewhere.  
  
'Did you notice Thomas was acting strange around you. Like he was afraid to hurt you or something? I don't know he looked like you were going to die right in front of him.'  
  
They were sleeping in Shyana's room, both talking about what had been happening.  
  
'Well he probably misses his wife, and since I must look like her I wouldn't blame him. If I ever met another person who looked like Connor I wouldn't want to let him get hurt in any way neither, I would probably want to make the best impression ever also so he may not be as nice as he was acting.'  
  
Shyana felt bad at what she said after that. Her heart still hadn't healed from Connor. She missed him so much. But she had to concentrate on what was going on in the present. She couldn't allow herself to dwell on her past.  
  
* *  
*  
  
Earlier that day Landon had been with his friend at the Zoo feeding the dolphins.  
  
'Chris do you think Shyana and I make a good couple, I mean you know . . . is our relationship questionable?' Landon by then smelled a lot like fish.  
  
Chris had been one of those people at subway when Landon had first met Shyana.  
  
'Well man, if I'm going to be honest . . . then yea I'd say your relationship is very questionable indeed. My ex-girlfriend and I had a tough relationship too but well, I asked her to marry me the other night and I found she had another dude too, and she said she loved him more. The dude and I had met on a train earlier; both of us were going to propose to someone that night, we never knew it was going to be the same girl.'  
  
Landon looked questioningly at Chris for him to say more.  
  
'I think he had a car crash after that. I lose the girl but hey, life goes on.'  
  
Chris looked a bit teary by then, his blondish hair falling before his eyes as he cleaned the shallow waters of the dolphin tank. Landon was kind of speechless then. If Chris could stand that then Landon could surely stand for Zack and Shyana, they never really knew each other that well anyways.  
  
They swam with the dolphins and fed them. Landon drove home earlier to check on his dog, Rascal. Still he could not get it out of his head that maybe Shyana would go back to Zack, probably get to know him better, and fall for him instead. As Landon was pondering his relationship his cell phone was ringing non-stop, about an emergency. It was a call from Zack.  
  
* *  
*  
  
Shyana's phone had been ringing also; it was from Zack's cell phone. When she picked it up though, it was Janis.  
  
'Shyana please come here quick!!! Zack's father just busted into my trailer while I wasn't home! There was a not that was on my bed with a knife through it. Zack's dad is holding him hostage! Come quick!'  
  
'I'll be there in a few minutes.'  
  
Shyana hung up and grabbed her jacket.  
  
'Trish come on, wake up!'  
  
Tricia gave a grunt then Shyana shook hr by the shoulders.  
  
'Zack's in trouble we have to help him!'  
  
So Tricia woke up, her hair was messy, not having time to fix it, they drove all the way to Janis's trailer, where Zack had said he was staying about two miles down.  
  
Janis was standing outside of her trailer when Shyana and Tricia pulled up.  
  
'Okay what happened?'  
  
Shyana then took a look at the trailer, it had been beaten in many places and it looked as if it had been hit with a bat. In some places there were gun holes.  
  
'Get in my car!' Shyana yelled to the two.  
  
She drove over sixty miles per hour and ran a red light. She didn't care. One of her friends were in trouble of being hurt, even killed.  
  
Once they got there they heard gunshots. They all thought they might be too late. Janis thought that the person she loved most would be killed. Shyana thought a friend would be killed, and Tricia thought that the boy her friend was probably destined to be with was killed. Tricia honestly didn't really like Landon that much.  
  
All three of them ran to the back o the house where they saw Zack lying on the ground holding his arm, which was bleeding, and his father was standing right above him, with his gun aimed right at Zack's heart.  
  
Chapter 11: Having Faith  
  
Mr. Anderson, or Thomas's hair was messed up and his shirt was torn. His face was red and he had blood splattered all over his white shirt. His arm was bleeding also. It looked as though Zack had cut him with a knife.  
  
'Stop it!' Shyana yelled at Mr. Anderson. He turned and looked at her. Then all of a sudden his face softened and he dropped the gun. Then he looked back at Zack and a wave of sympathy overcame him.  
  
'Oh my, are you . . . okay?' He reached for Zack but Zack just scooted back and yelled for his father to stay away from him. The police had just arrived. They had received the phone call from Janice also. Tricia and Shyana ran to Zack to try and help him when Janis ran to the spot where Mr. Anderson was standing.  
  
'I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry.' Mr. Anderson kept saying over and over again as the police locked him into the car.  
  
Janis was standing there, grinning like a lunatic. Then she walked over to Zack.  
  
'Are you okay honey?' she had stuffed something into her purse then she watched as the medics strapped Zack to a stretcher then packed him into the ambulance. All three girls rode in the ambulance also, with Janis grinning all the way to the hospital.  
  
* *  
*  
  
Landon had just gotten home and was having a small snack when his cell phone started ringing again. It was Shyana.  
  
'Landon, can you come to the hospital, as quickly as you can? Zack's been hurt badly.'  
  
Landon quickly finished his snack and jumped in his car. He drove to the hospital very fast. But there was traffic because of a car crash. So Landon couldn't get there as fast as he had hoped. It took him about three hours to get there.  
  
While Landon was struggling through the traffic, Shyana was playing over history. She sat beside Zack in the hospital room. He looked up at her as she sang to him a sweet song that she had heard one day.  
  
'Love, I long for you with all of my heart. I wish for you to come and stay and I'll sing to you this song, if you'll just stay with me for one last day.'  
  
As Shyana sang the last verse Tricia had just remembered where the song had come from. It was from a really old singer that Shyana had told her about. The sad thing was that was the exact song that was playing in the elevator when Tricia was going to Shyana's hospital room after the car crash.  
  
Janis couldn't stand it. As she sat in a chair on the other side of the hospital bed that Zack was in, and as she watched Shyana stroke his head gently and sing to him, she couldn't stand how obvious it was. That Zack really did love her; he was love-struck. She sat there, without Zack or Shyana noticing her existence. Only the other girl would glance at her every five minutes.  
  
But Janis had an idea. Before the police had come to search for the weapon that was used to harm Zack, Janis picked it up. Later on she planned to use it on Shyana if Zack didn't stop falling in love with her. If Janis couldn't be with Zack . . . no one could.  
  
Landon finally got out of the traffic by taking a back road. It was twice as long but at least no one else was on the road. He drove over the speed limit and was on the brink of losing control but he wanted to make sure Shyana wasn't harmed at all and also that his best friend, Zack, would be okay.  
  
He ran into the hospital, ignoring the commands from the head nurse screaming at him to stop. He ran to the elevator, but the door closed right in his face. He punched the button, hoping it would come down again, but all it did was bust the surrounding metal to the button of the elevator.  
  
So he ran up the stairs, and looked inside each room. Then he heard singing. It was coming from a room down the corridor, so he turned left and ran into the third room on his right. Shyana, surprised, had stopped singing. Zack looked over at the door, squinting from the pain.  
  
Landon ran to Shyana and gave her a big hug. Zack turned on his side so he wouldn't have to see it. Janis was standing now. She had opened her arms also thinking that Landon had come for her. But he kept hugging Shyana and wouldn't let go, no matter how long Janis stood there. Her arms were still open but her expression had changed, instead of that pretty innocent blonde girl, she had become somewhat of a jealous monster.  
  
She sat back down, pouting, and scheming of how to kill Shyana. She had stolen both her men's hearts without even knowing it.  
  
'Soon enough,' Janis thought 'be patient, soon enough . . . she'll be dead.'  
  
Chapter 12: Loving the other  
  
Zack's dad was released after about three months in Jail. Tricia had gone home about five weeks after the incident. Landon and Shyana would spend time together. But at sunset it was for Zack and Shyana only. They would sit there and talk. As much as Shyana wanted to deny it, she realized she had the same amount of feelings for both Zack and Landon. It was a great experience to finally be able to feed the dolphins with Landon, and even better to ride them with him. The restaurant was suddenly becoming busier and more crowded. Landon and Shyana would sometimes still go fishing and throw pieces of tuna sandwich at the biggest fishes they could find.  
  
Landon had made a funny joke about them having to have the best time they could while they weren't in the frying pan yet.  
  
Then zack would be so sensitive at the pier, and some nights would bring her out to dinner. But once Zack's father came home, Shyana and Zack would go to him and talk. They were making progress of course, even tough the whole conversation had to be supervised by two tough looking guards.  
  
Meanwhile, Janis was still scheming of a way to kill Shyana, even though about two years had passed, and Landon and Zack's feelings for Shyana were becoming stronger and her feelings for them too, Janis was still angry that they weren't going gaga over her like they were for Shyana. Shyana had continued a new internship to become a marine biologist and was now attending the University of Florida to graduate and become a marine biologist.  
  
To Janis they were practically the same person. Janis loved to play video games, hang with the boys, read magazines, and play the guitar. Shyana liked playing tennis, hanging with Landon, and Zack, and read and write books and poetry. There was no real difference to Janis.  
  
'Hey Ryan, what's up?'  
  
Landon's best friend Ryan was on the phone. Landon had just called him to tell him what he was going to do next Friday night.  
  
'Hey Landon . . . nothing much is going on. How bout' you? You sound overly excited to tell me something. What you getting married yet?'  
  
This was a single phrase that would usually get Landon laughing, but this time he was extra serious.  
  
'Yes.'  
  
One single word Landon said and his friend was silenced.  
  
'Man, do you mean your going to ask her to marry you?'  
  
'Of course, and she cant help but say yes.'  
  
Landon was obsessed with his idea. They would go to the trattoria de brace, then into the boat and onto the darkened sea. Under the spotlight from the moon, and Landon would pull out the ring and ask her. Then she would say yes it was a perfect plan. Landon never thought that there was a possibility that Shyana would say no.  
  
Zack was sitting on the pier holding Shyana's hand at that time. Shyana didn't refuse, she's known zack for so long, and he meant a lot to her . . . but Landon did too. They sat in silence. Zack could say nothing at all, being so close to Shyana, he was afraid that anything he'd say would sound hurtful, or just plain stupid. They had just come from Zack's house.  
  
His father was becoming nicer and more trustworthy. Zack stopped living in Janis's trailer, he needed to go home. Zack's father helped fix up his room, and they fixed the window. They also put the book from Zack's mother in a glass case and bought a new copy, so Zack could remember his mother forever.  
  
Landon had left a message on Shyana's cell, saying that she should come to the trattoria de brace later on around nine. So she was keeping the extra time she had to her and Zack. They had talked about everything from the latest gossip, to the meaning of life. They didn't keep secrets from each other. Shyana had even told Zack how she felt about both him and Zack. It was eight o' clock when they started sitting in silence. Fifteen minutes passed and Shyana stood up getting ready to go and get dressed.  
  
'I'll see you tomorrow Zack' He stood up and kissed her on the cheek.  
  
Shyana felt a cold breeze pass through her hair, and she saw Zack so wonderfully, so mature.  
  
'Sure, see you.' And he turned and walked away.  
  
Shyana was still standing there. Dazed, she felt wonderful, yet she didn't know why.  
  
'Do I love Zack?' She smiled to herself and thought about it. While she dressed into a light and soft white sweater and a new pair of jeans she had just bought that weekend. She had forgotten to rip off the page on her calendar; it had scribbles all over it, about what had happened and all on that day. So she tucked it into her journal and grabbed her jean jacket, swinging it on. Never suspecting what she was about to realize in a couple of hours.  
  
She drove to the parking lot near the trattoria de brace and ran through the bushes. Landon was looking at something in his hand then when he realized Shyana was there he quickly shoved it into his pocket.  
  
'You ready to go?' Landon asked nodding at the water below.  
  
'Of course I'm ready.' Shyana jumped into the boat after Landon did. She was still afraid she'd knock the boat over and plummet into the water. Landon rowed softly. It looked as though he was in his dream world, smiling at the full moon. Shyana of course was suspicious of why Landon seemed to be so happy. It was as though he was about to own the world.  
  
Landon stopped the boat in the middle of the water and lit a candle on the bench in front of him. He took out a plate of pasta, and put out some silverware and two glasses of water. He then looked Shyana in he eyes and watched as she threw bread into the water for the ducks that decided to stay out late that night.  
  
Then Landon said 'I love you so much Shyana.'  
  
Quickly Shyana turned her head. 'What?'  
  
'I said I love you. I was also wondering,' he reached into his pocket and took out a small container, opened it, to show that inside it held a diamond ring.  
  
', will you marry me?'  
  
Shyana smiled knowing to herself what to do.  
  
'Landon.'  
  
'Yes?'  
  
He was grinning, thinking she was going to say yes.  
  
'I can't marry you.'  
  
Chapter 13: Just a matter of time  
  
'What? Why?'  
  
Landon lost his smile, he was as confused as ever and wondered why or how Shyana could say no to his proposal.  
  
'I can't marry you because I just realized something.'  
  
'And that would be?'  
  
'I love Zack.'  
  
Landon just nodded, devastated but understanding.  
  
'I love you too Landon, and if I didn't love Zack so much I would definitely marry you.'  
  
'I know. But I'm happy Zack finally got what he wanted the whole time, someone that truly loved him. Want me to take you home now? So you can tell him?'  
  
'Yes please.'  
  
Landon rowed back to the trattoria de brace and pulled Shyana up to the restaurant. Then he drove her over to Zack's house, and left her after a kiss good bye.  
  
Shyana rang the doorbell twice and Zack's father opened the door.  
  
'Yes dear?' he was smiling and wearing a white apron with a lobster on it, apparently from cooking dinner.  
  
'I would like to see Zack.'  
  
Zack came from the back and ran outside to see Shyana; he closed the door behind him and smiled at his dad.  
  
Shyana told him the whole deal with Landon asking her to marry him.  
  
'So you're getting married?'  
  
'No, and you know why I refused?'  
  
'Why?'  
  
'I refused because I realized something very important.'  
  
'What was so important that you wouldn't marry the one person you love?'  
  
'The important thing was that the one person I love is you!'  
  
Shyana gave him a long hard hug with her crying tears of joy. Zack was smiling and stroking her head.  
  
'So will you marry me?'  
  
Shyana pulled away and looked him in the eye, grinning.  
  
'Yes.'  
  
* *  
*  
  
Landon was walking around the trails in the woods the next morning. It was around 6:00 in the morning, and the dew was still sticking to the grass and leaves around him. He was pretty sad about Shyana rejecting him, but she loved Zack. Landon was second best.  
  
Anyways it was his best friend, and he wanted him and Shyana both happy, so he couldn't do anything against Zack. He deserved her; Landon abandoned him in his time of need, so he is the one who truthfully deserves Shyana.  
  
Landon took Zack's girlfriend and all of his friends away from him, when zack was asking them to help him with his father. . . . And they abandoned him . . . what true friend would do that?  
  
Landon didn't care where he was going, he just wrapped his jacket around him, and stuck is hands in the pockets . . . the ring was still there. Landon took it out and looked at it for a few minutes, still walking down the trail.  
  
He tripped on a large log, because he wasn't looking at where he was going. He started to fall down the hill. He was getting dizzy, and he couldn't stop falling suddenly he hit a rock on the side of his head, and was knocked unconscious, and he kept rolling until he landed on the shore beside a small stream, where he lay, teetering on the brink of death.  
  
* *  
*  
  
Shyana was on the phone with Tricia, giggling about Shyana's engagement.  
  
'See and you thought you were never going to get married until you were old and wrinkly and look at you! You're twenty one! Heck I'm twenty and don't even have a steady boyfriend. (Sigh) Well at least you have someone who truly loves you. Hey! Maybe I can hook up with Landon eh? How does that sound. You get your man I get your ex! Haha just kidding girl, don't freak out on me.' Tricia yelled over the phone. Due to the music her boyfriend had turned up on her stereo.  
  
'Very funny Tricia, I still love Landon but not as much as Zack. How does Shyana Anderson sound?'  
  
'It sound very you. Yet . . . oh hold on. Michael, can you please turn that thing down? Okay well, did you tell your parents you're engaged yet? I mean you in college and living in your apartment and all, and with your marine biology thing. Yeah maybe they'd want to know something in your love life has finally crossed the line.'  
  
'You're making me sound like I haven't had a date in fifteen years! But yes, I did tell my parents and their ecstatic about it. They got to know Thomas, you know, Zack's dad, my future father-in-law, and they like him.'  
  
'Lucky! Well I have to go now. Peace girl.'  
  
'Peace.'  
  
Shyana had been writing in her journal for the past two hours, making plans for her wedding. She was so happy she was getting married, even though it wasn't until August the next year, it was only February now.  
  
'Shyana Anderson. Shyana Belle . . . Anderson. Oh that sounds perfect.'  
  
She rolled over on her bed and looked out her window, it was a beautiful day. The sky was blue and the sun was shining brightly. Shyana no longer lived in her house in front of the pier. She now lived in a small apartment for college, but over the weekend she always went back to her house.  
  
'I think I'll go to the mall and buy some new clothes for school.'  
  
While Shyana was at the mall, Janis was getting ready for that night. She had planned it all, she was going to get Shyana to come to the pier, and then she would talk to her for a while.  
  
Distract her with something Janis would pretend to see on the beach, wait until she turned her back and shoot her. Easy but then, there was always hiding the body. Janis would throw her in the water and watch until she drifted off into the setting sun.  
  
Nothing was hard about that plan. Sure Landon and Zack would probably be very angry, but they would never know it had been Janis, and she could live her life knowing she was the only girl for them. Janis was ready, and while she waited for the time to come, she would take a walk in the woods, just to enjoy what a wonderful day it was going to be in just a matter of time.  
  
Chapter 14: The last moment  
  
Janis was walking through the woods and laughing and talking loudly about her plan.  
  
'Shyana is going to be dead! Haha cause I'm going to shoot her at the pier . . .'  
  
She blurted her whole plan out thinking no one was in the woods other than her. Landon had just woken up. He caught pieces of it. He slowly got up and ran out of the woods, limping on his leg and holding his head, which was bleeding. He needed help, but Shyana needed it more.  
  
Shyana had just finished shopping. She had taken about six hours to go shopping, buying things from new socks to a new handbag she was planning to use on her trip to the beach that weekend. Then she caught up with Zack to see some new movies', both comedies coming out, which was apparently three hours long each. So it was about two when she got back home. Zack kissed Shyana goodbye and drove back home to cook dinner for his dad.  
  
After reading a few more pages of "a walk to remember" Shyana took a long shower. She was interrupted in the middle of rinsing her hair out when she got a call from Janis on her cell phone. She wrapped her towel around hr and struggled to wipe the soap from her eyes. She combed her hair back with her fingers and opened her phone.  
  
'Hello? Shyana is this you?'  
  
'Yeah it's me. Umm, what's up?'  
  
'Oh can you meet me out at eight tonight in front of your old house in front of the pier, maybe just for a little friendly talk, you know, since we haven't been talking in a while.'  
  
'Okay sure sounds great.'  
  
'Okay. I'll talk to you later then, bye'  
  
Shyana was shivering, since she had just gotten out of a hot shower, and her heater wasn't turned up that high, since she didn't want to pay too much for the bills. She hurried and finished rinsing her hair, got dressed into her newest outfit; a pair of flower decorated blue jeans and a low white turtle neck, blow dried her hair and drove out to go to a drive through nearby. Shyana was taking her time, never knowing that she had only about an hour until death was coming by her house.  
  
Landon called Zack on his phone urgently. Zack needed to come too. Landon couldn't fight in his condition alone. Zack agreed and said he would be there. Landon was having a hard time walking and was close to blacking out again, but he didn't want Shyana to be hurt, nevertheless killed.  
  
Shyana drove to her old home. Her parents weren't there again; they had to go to a meeting about neighborhood watch. Janis was waiting there already digging through her red purse and looking at something. When Shyana drove up she looked up and smiled a big grin. Something about Janis made Shyana feel a little uncomfortable, but she got over it in a few minutes.  
  
'Let's walk down on the beach, it's a nice time to go ahead and look for some little things that my have washed up on the shore. Maybe there's some jewelry we can sell or something.'  
  
Janis was still smiling. But Shyana agreed to go down onto the beach. She loved searching for little treasures.  
  
'Look I think I see something over there. Why don't you go ahead and look?'  
  
'Umm, okay.'  
  
Shyana was bent down looking for whatever Janis was talking about. Janis slowly pulled out the gun. It was the one that Zack's father had used. And now it was going to be used to kill Shyana.  
  
She was just about ready to pull the trigger when she heard a car door slam, but didn't take notice to it, and right when she pulled the trigger, Zack jumped right in front of Shyana.  
  
It was like slow motion. Shyana turned around and when she saw Zack on the ground bleeding and shaking from the pain, she was screaming "No!!!"  
  
Even Janis was shocked. She was trying to kill Shyana so she could be with Zack, but now Zack was going to die.  
  
'Well I might as well finish was I was here for.' Janis thought. She was crying then, for Zack but she knew that she should as well kill Shyana.  
  
She held up the gun once more. But Landon jumped on her, and she accidentally shot him too. She shot him in the arm and he rolled over to the side near the rocks. She looked at Shyana crying over Zack and Landon squinting from the pain he was suffering.  
  
'I'm so sorry. . . Shyana . . .'  
  
Shyana looked up, her face was stained with tears, and Zack was breathing in small gasps. He had been shot in the stomach and bleeding severely, it was obvious he was going to die.  
  
Janis held her gun up to her head. There was one bullet left. She closed her eyes.  
  
'I'm sorry.'  
  
And she pulled the trigger.  
  
* *  
*  
  
Shyana was still crying over Zack. Landon was getting up to his feet and walked over to Shyana.  
  
Zack opened his eyes and looked at them. Between coughs he spoke his last true words.  
  
'Shyana,'  
  
Shyana leaned closer to hear him. He was speaking so softly and was turning very pale. She held his hand to her face.  
  
'Shyana, I love you with all my heart. And I know I'm not going to survive this, but at least you're okay. So I want you to always be happy, so marry Landon. He'll do you good. He truly loves you. As do I, but maybe I do just a little bit more. Never forget me Shyana. I . . . love . . . you.'  
  
Zack's hand fell from Shyana's face, as she cried harder, her tears wracking her body.  
  
'No Zack. No! Don't leave me. Don't leave me.'  
  
But Shyana knew Zack was gone, and she would never be with him again. Landon held her close, sorry that all this had to happen. The police would be coming there soon, but they were too late to save Zack. They were too late.  
  
* *  
*  
  
It was still all too much. The police came just a few minutes after everything was over. While the police slid down to meet Landon and Shyana at the bottom of the hill, Shyana cried over the pools of blood that were feeding the waves. She wouldn't stop screaming 'No! No! Don't leave me Zack! Don't leave me!' All while Landon held her close, tears streaming down his cheeks, with no sound. He was scared, and sad. He had lost his best buddy. Maybe some day's he would wish Zack wasn't there for him to compete against, so that he could have Shyana all to himself. But now that it had finally happened, he wished he was the one who had to go instead.  
  
Shyana and Landon had to watch the police as they took Zack and Janis's bodies away. Shyana didn't stop crying. Crying for Zack, he never deserved to die. She tried to believe that it wasn't true, even though she knew it was. She wanted Zack to be back at his home, reading his books and his poetry to himself. She couldn't watch it all, the blood on the sand being filtered away by the oncoming waters, the black body bags, the questioning police men, the pain. She couldn't stand the pain. Her knees weakened, and she fell on the sand. She could smell Zack's cologne still on the ground. She could remember all the times she had been with him. She could remember running on the beach, reading at the library, staying together on cold nights, watching movies and drinking hot cocoa in front of the fire.  
  
Shyana forced herself to come back from her memories. Her eyes hurt, and she felt so tired, and weak. Everything started to spin. Everything was turning a bright white. Then suddenly everything became dark, and she felt Landon trying to shake her. But everything faded away, and she blacked out.  
  
* *  
*  
  
Chapter 15: Sunset on the pier.  
  
The next time she woke up she was in a hospital room. There was a needle in her wrist, and a bag of clear liquid on a stand beside her. She tried to get up but she couldn't. Landon was sitting in a chair in front of her, fast asleep. But as soon as Shyana made the smallest noise, he was awake again.  
  
'Oh Shyana you had us all worried' He ran to her side at once.  
  
'What . . . happened?'  
  
'Oh you just blacked out . . . for about two day's'  
  
He gave her a small kiss on the head.  
  
'Try eating something. The doctor said we could take you home as soon as you woke up.'  
  
Landon fed her, helped her into the car, and drove her home. Her family was still asleep; it was about 6:25 in the morning. She ate all the food she could find. She hadn't been able to eat for the past two days she was out. Everything slowly came back to her. And she started crying again, right when she was taking the water pitcher from the fridge.  
  
Her knees started weakening again; Landon ran over to her and caught her from hitting the ground too hard. The orange water pitcher fell onto her white tiled floor and splashed all over. The water splashed onto her knees and in her eyes. Landon tried calming her down, but it wouldn't work. Through tears she told him that she would marry him. Yet she would do it later, after everything had passed. She was so mixed up right now. She couldn't handle both happiness and devastation at one time.  
  
It was hard for Shyana to go through Zack's death. It was even a harder death than Connor's was. The funeral was hard too. Shyana just couldn't stop crying, it hurt too much. She wouldn't eat or sleep anymore, Landon stayed with her the whole way of course. She had agreed to marry him, Zack was right; he was going to treat her well. Tricia came to Florida as soon as she heard and she comforted Shyana every night, telling her it was going to be okay. Shyana didn't believe it though. Zack's father came by to comfort Shyana also. That weekend Shyana went to Zack's house to clean out his room of all the stuff he had.  
  
She was cleaning out his dresser when she found a small note tied to a rose inside. The white ribbon had "Shyana" written on it in gold cursive letters, written to Shyana on the night Zack was killed.  
  
She read it aloud:  
  
"Dearest Shyana,  
I am so happy you agreed to marry me. I love you so much. We may go through hard times, and sometimes we will think to give up. But don't ever give up on the world Shyana; you have so much to look forward to. No matter what happens. Don't ever quit because you're never a failure until you fail to try. On our wedding day you know that line that says "Until death do we part"? Well they wrote that wrong. We will never part because you'll always be with me Shyana, always in my heart, and in my soul. I will love you forever.  
  
Love Forever,  
  
Zack"  
  
Shyana suddenly didn't cry. She knew she would have to go on. Instead she finished clearing out Zack's room and drove back home to the pier. She sat down and talked to the air. She was hoping maybe, that Zack was listening to her from heaven, listening to her every word.  
  
'Zack I will always love you. Landon will never be able to take your place no matter how much I love him. When I lost you, I realized that no matter how much I tried to love another person, be it Landon or Connor, no one will ever live up to you. Someday we'll be together again. Every night I'll sit on this pier and think of you, and remember what you taught me. You taught me that no matter how rough things might get, love will always overcome it because, like you, love never quits.'  
  
And Shyana threw the rose and her old locket into the water and walked away. Never to shed tears again from Zack's loss, but only to shed tears of joy. Because even though Zack's true spirit will be far away, his love for Shyana will always be in her heart, forevermore.  
  
Epilogue:  
  
Shyana returned to the pier every day. She was always smiling to herself about life. Landon stayed with her, and she became Mrs. Landon Matheson. She also became a marine biologist. Tricia moved away to do medicals in Africa for homeless children that needed food and care. Of course Landon passed away. From old age, he died. He had spent the rest of his life beside Shyana, as her husband and best friend.  
  
When Landon died Shyana was not devastated, he lived his life, and Shyana knew her day was to come soon. One day when she was older, about seventy nine a year or two after Landon died; she was walking along the beach, hugging herself. She was wearing a long silky red dress.  
  
She sat on the sand and looked at the ocean, letting the waves wash up against her feet. The next wave brought up a rose, with a small ribbon attached to it. It was a white ribbon that had the name "Shyana" written in golden cursive letters on it. Shyana was very surprised; she lay on the sand and closed her eyes. Her heart beat slowed and she could hear Zack's voice whispering 'Shyana . . . it's time.' And her young, nineteen year old spirit lifted from her aged body and danced with Zack's on the clouds.  
  
Leaving the old body of Shyana lying on the sand, with a small smile, being slowly washed away by the waves as the sun set, for the final time in Shyana's life. 


End file.
